She loved her sister very much; and something must also be allowed to the fact that, having a great happiness in prospect for herself, she could afford to expend more sympathy on those less fortunate.

As for the professor, he, for a second time that afternoon, gave evidence of possessing disgracefully little control over himself.

He began another fruitless search after his handkerchief, and finally asked Cornelia, with some heat, whether she knew what had become of it.
"Why, it's on your head, papa!" warbled she, brightly changing a laugh for her tears; and papa, putting up his hand in great confusion, and finding that it was indeed so, laughed also, and this time in a perfectly natural manner; but he blew his nose very resoundingly, for all that.
The atmosphere being serene once more, the joy of the future became again strong in Cornelia's heart, and coupled with it, an earnest longing to disburden herself to some one, and who but her sister should be her confidant?
So she rose from her knees, and picked up her brown straw hat, which, in the excitement, had fallen to the floor.
"Is there any thing you'd like to do, papa dear ?" asked she, laying her forefinger caressingly upon his bald head.

"Because if there isn't, I, I should like--I think I'd better go to Sophie." Professor Valeyon nodded his head, being in truth desirous of taking solitary counsel with himself.

The letter contained a good deal more than the invitation he had communicated to Cornelia, and he could not feel at ease until he had more thoroughly analyzed and digested it.