"Little Jennie," he said after a moment, "how would you like to live here always, and never have any work to do--nothing to do but adorn your beauty with silks and laces, and jewels, and ride and walk and amuse yourself!" She clasped her toil-worn little hands, and looked at him with beaming eyes, and a happy smile on her red lips. "Oh, I should like it above anything!" she breathed, gladly. He took her hand in his, then dropped it with a slight frown. It was hardened and enlarged by honest toil, and not pretty like her face. He was used to velvet hands, white as the lily, for he seldom descended to women in her station of life. She did not see the slight curl of his lip, for he turned his head away, and when he looked back he was smiling, and there was a beam of tenderness in his eyes. "Jennie, dearest," he said, "you can have all that, and what is better, you can have one fond, devoted heart to adore you if you will only speak the word." She looked up blushing and smiling. "You mean," she said, and then paused. "I mean," he answered, "that I will lavish every luxury and pleasure upon you if you will only accept my love." The simple, untutored country girl did not for a moment comprehend his meaning. She turned to him with clasped hands and a face full of joyful emotion. "Oh, sir," she said, fervently, "you know that I shall only be too happy and thankful to be your wife!" "The devil!" exclaimed the villain to himself. "The little simpleton thinks I meant marriage." It suddenly dawned on him that there could be no question of love with this honest little country girl without marriage. He determined to humor her fancy. "So you will be my wife, my sweet one?" he inquired. "Yes," she replied, "I will marry you if father is willing." Mr. Vinton suddenly assumed an expression of deep concern. "Ah! my little darling," he said, as he bent down and kissed her ruby lips, "that is just where the trouble comes in. If I marry you now, as my ardent love prompts me to do, I cannot ask your father to give you to me, for our marriage must be a secret, unknown to any but ourselves." "Why so?" she inquired, looking disappointed. "I cannot tell you the reason now, Jennie," he replied, evasively. "There are several things which would prevent our marriage if I declared our intention beforehand; but there is one reason I can give you. My sister, though she is fond of you in her way would never consent to it. She is very proud, and she wishes me to marry a rich woman of her choosing. If I openly defy her she has the power to keep me out of my fortune and make me a poor man." Jennie was too simple and innocent to be undeceived by that transparent lie. "Darling, after this explanation you will surely consent to a private marriage--will you not? Remember how well I love you," pleaded the wretch. "How could we manage a secret marriage?" asked Jennie, blushing with delight at his fond words.