the announcement that her aunt had agreed to marry major ashton was intensely disagreeable to grace dearborn. she knew, if her aunt did not, that he was simply a mercenary adventurer, who, failing to secure her hand and fortune, was now scheming for her aunt's larger fortune, and willing to take her hand with it, in spite of the disparity in their years.
"my dear aunt," she said, "i hope you will consider well the step you propose to take."
"why should i need to consider?" asked mrs. sheldon, somewhat displeased. "i have known the major for a considerable time, and i know the estimation in which he is held in chicago."
"i do not think he is an honorable, reliable man."
"oh, i understand very well why you are prejudiced against him, grace," said her aunt, sharply.
"and why, aunt caroline?"
"because he was a suitor of yours, and you are mortified to think he should accept your rejection as final, and so soon pay his attentions in another quarter."
[pg 274]"my dear aunt," said grace, earnestly, "you were never more mistaken. i feel no interest in him or his marriage, save as it affects you."
mrs. sheldon was inwardly sensible that she was acting foolishly, and this made her only the more indisposed to listen to her niece's remonstrances.
"what objections can you possibly think of, grace? perhaps you do not think well of second marriages."
"it is not that, aunt caroline. i think second marriages are often wise."
"and why not in this case?" demanded mrs. sheldon, coldly.
"you are aware, aunt caroline, that you are considerably older than major ashton."
"not so very much older. major ashton tells me he is thirty-eight."
"he does not look that. but even then you——"
"are a little older," admitted the widow, wondering whether grace knew her real age. at any rate, she knew it would be of no use to call herself forty, as her niece had something like a correct idea of how much she exceeded that age. "however," she added, quickly steering away from a topic which was not acceptable, "that is major ashton's affair. i myself made that objection, and mentioned my age, but he said, like a true gentleman as he is, that it was unimportant[pg 275] in comparison with the similarity of our tastes."
"i had not supposed that you and major ashton were so similar in your tastes," said grace, puzzled.
"because you have never understood or appreciated the major, grace," returned her aunt.
"then you are quite decided upon this marriage, aunt caroline?" said grace, wistfully.
"quite so, grace."
"then i can only hope, aunt caroline, that it will meet your wishes and expectations."
"i am willing to run the risk, grace," said her aunt, complacently.
as grace left the room mrs. sheldon said to herself:
"i expected grace would feel disturbed. she may say what she likes, but it is clear to me that she is jealous and mortified that the major has so soon recovered from her rejection of him."
