"Ah,"  said  Elinor,  jealously,  turning  swiftly
toward  Margaret,  "  thou  didst  never  doubt  him ;
thou  canst  afford  to  be  proud."

Margaret  Brent  smiled. "  No  storm,"  she
said,  "  no  rainbow ;  no  trial,  no  faith ;  no  faith,  no
love."

"  Mother,"  broke  in  Cecil,  "  wilt  thou  wed
Thir  Chrithtopher  ?  "

"If  he  condescend  to  ask  me  again,  I  surely
will."

"Thir  Chrithtopher!  You  do  mean  to  ask
her  again  ? "

408


The  Calvert  Motto

"  Perhaps,  some  day."

"  Couldst  not  make  thy  decidence  now  ?  "

"  Why  dost  thou  seek  to  hurry  me  so  ?  Mar
riage  is  a  serious  matter,  and  who  knows  but  I
might  regret  any  undue  haste  !  "

"  Nay,  now  art  thou  in  jest  and  I  in  earnest,
for  we  were  to  have  the  feast  of  Candlemas
to-night,  and  there  are  not  candles  enough  to
go  round ;  but  if  you  and  Mother  are  to  be
one—"

"  I  do  take  your  meaning ,  —  then  one  candle
will  do  for  both."

"'Xactly."

"  In  that  case,  I  must  waive  all  scruples,  and
I  do  here  commit  myself  to  a  solemn  promise
to  ask  Mistress  Calvert  to  marry  me ;  and,
Cecil,  I  am  fain  to  ask  thee  for  a  betrothal
gift."

"I  know,  —  the  Calvert  seal."

"  Nay,  I  have  no  use  for  the  seal,  Cecil,  though
its  motto  stood  by  me  well  in  the  dark  days  last
winter. Yes,  Elinor,  I  said  them  over  to  myself
many  a  time  there  in  the  tobacco-house,  — '  Fatti
Maschij  :  Parole  Femine,  —  Deeds  for  men ;  words
for  women/  They  may  not  be  read  so  in
the  bastard  Italian,  but  so  they  were  writ  in  my
heart,  and  I  said,  c  After  all,  'tis  my  life  must
speak  for  me. 