"Leaving me ?" It took a moment for that fact, dropping the depth of his indecision, to show him where he stood.

"But I thought you understood," he protested, "that I wanted you to stay ...

to stay with me...." He leaned across Mrs.Merrithew's broad lap in a great fear of not being sufficiently plain.

"Make her understand," he said, "that I want her to stay always." "I guess," said Mrs.Merrithew, a dry smile twinkling in the placidity of her countenance, "you'd better take me right home first, and then you can explain to her yourself." XII "And you are sure," asked Peter, "that you are not going to mind my being so much older ?" "Oh, I'm going to mind it: There will be times when I shall be afraid of not living up to it.

But the most part of my minding will be, since you are so much better acquainted with life than I am, that in any matter in which we shouldn't agree I shall be so much the more sure of your being right.