Three years have passed since the wreck of the schooner _Lone Star_,and to-day is the third anniversary of our return to the settlement.It is a lovely morning, and I am sitting in the verandah of ourbungalow on the hillside, pen in hand, waiting for a step whose musicgrows every day more welcome to my ears. My patience is rewarded whena woman, to whose beauty Time has but added, turns the corner, closelyfollowed by an enormous white bull-dog, and comes towards me. When shereaches me she sets down the rosy toddling infant she carries in herarms, and, taking a seat beside me, says:
"What news had you by the mail this morning, my husband?"
"Nothing of very much moment, Alie," I answer. "The negotiations inEngland are still proceeding, and Brandwon confidently hopes, in viewof certain considerations, that he will be able to carry out his plansand win a free pardon for a certain beautiful lady of myacquaintance."
"Then it is all as satisfactory as we could wish?" she says. "I amthankful for that! And now I have some news for you!"
"Are you going to tell me that I am the happiest husband in the world?or that that boy, playing with old Bel yonder, whom we both worship agood deal more than is good for him, is being spoiled by the entirepopulation of the settlement?"
"Neither of those things! No, it has to do with your sister Janet."
"Ah! then I can guess. She is so enraptured with the settlement thatshe is willing to prolong her stay indefinitely."
"How did you guess?"
"Have I not eyes, my wife? You don't mean to tell me that you thinkyou alone have seen the outrageous court Walworth has been paying herthese six months past?"
"You have no objection, I hope?"
"Not the very slightest. She is a good woman, if ever there was one,and he is certainly a man after my own heart. If they marry and aredestined to be as happy as we are, then they'll be lucky people;that's all I can say, my wife."
"Can you truthfully affirm that you have never regretted giving up somuch for me?"
"Regretted! How can you ask me such a question? No, my darling; restassured, if there is one thing for which I am grateful to Providenceit is----"
Here I placed my arm round her neck and drew her lovely head down tome.
"What is it?" she whispered.
"That I was permitted to be the husband of the Beautiful White Devil."