'Upon my word, I feel as if I lived in a powder-magazine, and don'tknow which barrel will explode next, and send me flying,' said Mrs Joto herself next day, as she trudged up to Parnassus to suggest to hersister that perhaps the most charming of the young nurses had betterreturn to her marble gods before she unconsciously added anotherwound to those already won by the human hero. She told no secrets;but a hint was sufficient; for Mrs Amy guarded her daughter as apearl of great price, and at once devised a very simple means ofescape from danger. Mr Laurie was going to Washington on Dan'sbehalf, and was delighted to take his family with him when the ideawas carelessly suggested. So the conspiracy succeeded finely; andMrs Jo went home, feeling more like a traitor than ever. She expectedan explosion; but Dan took the news so quietly, it was plain that hecherished no hope; and Mrs Amy was sure her romantic sister had beenmistaken. If she had seen Dan's face when Bess went to say good-bye,her maternal eye would have discovered far more than the unconsciousgirl did. Mrs Jo trembled lest he should betray himself; but he hadlearned self-control in a stern school, and would have got throughthe hard moment bravely, only, when he took both hands, sayingheartily:

'Good-bye, Princess. If we don't meet again, remember your old friendDan sometimes,' she, touched by his late danger and the wistful lookhe wore, answered with unusual warmth: 'How can I help it, when youmake us all so proud of you? God bless your mission, and bring yousafely home to us again!'

As she looked up at him with a face full of frank affection and sweetregret, all that he was losing rose so vividly before him that Dancould not resist the impulse to take the 'dear goldy head' betweenhis hands and kiss it, with a broken 'Good-bye'; then hurried back tohis room, feeling as if it were the prison-cell again, with noglimpse of heaven's blue to comfort him.

This abrupt caress and departure rather startled Bess; for she feltwith a girl's quick instinct that there was something in that kissunknown before, and looked after him with sudden colour in her cheeksand new trouble in her eyes. Mrs Jo saw it, and fearing a verynatural question answered it before it was put.

'Forgive him, Bess. He has had a great trouble, and it makes himtender at parting with old friends; for you know he may never comeback from the wild world he is going to.'

'You mean the fall and danger of death?' asked Bess, innocently.

'No, dear; a greater trouble than that. But I cannot tell you anymore - except that he has come through it bravely; so you may trustand respect him, as I do.'

'He has lost someone he loved. Poor Dan! We must be very kind tohim.'

Bess did not ask the question, but seemed content with her solutionof the mystery - which was so true that Mrs Jo confirmed it by a nod,and let her go away believing that some tender loss and sorrowwrought the great change all saw in Dan, and made him so slow tospeak concerning the past year.

But Ted was less easily satisfied, and this unusual reticence goadedhim to desperation. His mother had warned him not to trouble Dan withquestions till he was quite well; but this prospect of approachingdeparture made him resolve to have a full, clear, and satisfactoryaccount of the adventures which he felt sure must have beenthrilling, from stray words Dan let fall in his fever. So one daywhen the coast was clear, Master Ted volunteered to amuse theinvalid, and did so in the following manner:

'Look here, old boy, if you don't want me to read, you've got totalk, and tell me all about Kansas, and the farms, and that part. TheMontana business I know, but you seem to forget what went before.Brace up, and let's have it,' he began, with an abruptness whichroused Dan from a brown study most effectually.

'No, I don't forget; it isn't interesting to anyone but myself. Ididn't see any farms - gave it up,' he said slowly.

'Why?'

'Other things to do.'

'What?'

'Well, brush-making for one thing.'

'Don't chaff a fellow. Tell true.'

'I truly did.'

'What for?'

'To keep out of mischief, as much as anything.'

'Well, of all the queer things - and you've done a lot - that's thequeerest,' cried Ted, taken aback at this disappointing discovery.But he didn't mean to give up yet, and began again.

'What mischief, Dan?'

'Never you mind. Boys shouldn't bother.'

'But I do want to know, awfully, because I'm your pal, and care foryou no end. Always did. Come, now, tell me a good yarn. I lovescrapes. I'll be mum as an oyster if you don't want it known.'

'Will you?' and Dan looked at him, wondering how the boyish facewould change if the truth were suddenly told him.

'I'll swear it on locked fists, if you like. I know it was jolly, andI'm aching to hear.'

'You are as curious as a girl. More than some - Josie and - and Bessnever asked a question.'

'They don't care about rows and things; they liked the mine business,heroes, and that sort. So do I, and I'm as proud as Punch over it;but I see by your eyes that there was something else before that, andI'm bound to find out who Blair and Mason are, and who was hit andwho ran away, and all the rest of it.'

'What!' cried Dan, in a tone that made Ted jump.

'Well, you used to mutter about 'em in your sleep, and Uncle Lauriewondered. So did I; but don't mind, if you can't remember, or wouldrather not.'

'What else did I say? Queer, what stuff a man will talk when his witsare gone.'

'That's all I heard; but it seemed interesting, and I just mentionedit, thinking it might refresh your memory a bit,' said Teddy, verypolitely; for Dan's frown was heavy at that moment.

It cleared off at this reply, and after a look at the boy squirmingwith suppressed impatience in his chair, Dan made up his mind toamuse him with a game of cross-purposes and half-truths, hoping toquench his curiosity, and so get peace.

'Let me see; Blair was a lad I met in the cars, and Mason a poorfellow who was in a - well, a sort of hospital where I happened to be.Blair ran off to his brothers, and I suppose I might say Mason washit, because he died there. Does that suit you?'

'No, it doesn't. Why did Blair run? and who hit the other fellow?I'm sure there was a fight somewhere, wasn't there?'

'Yes!

'I guess I know what it was about.'

'The devil, you do! Let's hear you guess. Must be amusing,' said Dan,affecting an ease he did not feel.

Charmed to be allowed to free his mind, Ted at once unfolded theboyish solution of the mystery which he had been cherishing, for hefelt that there was one somewhere.

'You needn't say yes, if I guess right and you are under oath to keepsilent. I shall know by your face, and never tell. Now see if I'm notright. Out there they have wild doings, and it's my belief you werein some of 'em. I don't mean robbing mails, and KluKluxing, and thatsort of thing; but defending the settlers, or hanging some scamp, oreven shooting a few, as a fellow must sometimes, in self-defence.Ah, ha! I've hit it, I see. Needn't speak; I know the flash of yourold eye, and the clench of your big fist.' And Ted pranced withsatisfaction.

'Drive on, smart boy, and don't lose the trail,' said Dan, finding acurious sense of comfort in some of these random words, and longing,but not daring, to confirm the true ones. He might have confessed thecrime, but not the punishment that followed, the sense of itsdisgrace was still so strong upon him.

'I knew I should get it; can't deceive me long,' began Ted, with suchan air of pride Dan could not help a short laugh.

'It's a relief, isn't it, to have it off your mind? Now, just confidein me and it's all safe, unless you've sworn not to tell.'

'I have.'

'Oh, well, then don't'; and Ted's face fell, but he was himself againin a moment and said, with the air of a man of the world: 'It's allright - I understand - honour binds - silence to death, etc. Glad youstood by your mate in the hospital. How many did you kill?'

'Only one.'

'Bad lot, of course?'

'A damned rascal.'

'Well, don't look so fierce; I've no objection. Wouldn't mind poppingat some of those bloodthirsty blackguards myself. Had to dodge andkeep quiet after it, I suppose.'

'Pretty quiet for a long spell.'

'Got off all right in the end, and headed for your mines and did thatjolly brave thing. Now, I call that decidedly interesting andcapital. I'm glad to know it; but I won't blab.'

'Mind you don't. Look here. Ted, if you'd killed a man, would ittrouble you - a bad one, I mean?'

The lad opened his mouth to say, 'Not a bit,' but checked that answeras if something in Dan's face made him change his mind. 'Well, if itwas my duty in war or self-defence, I suppose I shouldn't; but if I'dpitched into him in a rage, I guess I should be very sorry. Shouldn'twonder if he sort of haunted me, and remorse gnawed me as it did Aramand those fellows. You don't mind, do you? It was a fair fight,wasn't it?'

'Yes, I was in the right; but I wish I'd been out of it. Women don'tsee it that way, and look horrified at such things. Makes it hard;but it don't matter.'

'Don't tell 'em; then they can't worry,' said Ted, with the nod ofone versed in the management of the sex.

'Don't intend to. Mind you keep your notions to yourself, for some of'em are wide of the mark. Now you may read if you like'; and therethe talk ended; but Ted took great comfort in it, and looked as wiseas an owl afterwards.

A few quiet weeks followed, during which Dan chafed at the delay; andwhen at length word came that his credentials were ready, he waseager to be off, to forget a vain love in hard work, and live forothers, since he might not for himself.

So one wild March morning our Sintram rode away, with horse andhound, to face again the enemies who would have conquered him, butfor Heaven's help and human pity.

'Ah, me! it does seem as if life was made of partings, and they getharder as we go on,' sighed Mrs Jo, a week later, as she sat in thelong parlour at Parnassus one evening, whither the family had gone towelcome the travellers back.

'And meetings too, dear; for here we are, and Nat is on his way atlast. Look for the silver lining, as Marmee used to say, and becomforted,' answered Mrs Amy, glad to be at home and find no wolvesprowling near her sheepfold.

'I've been so worried lately, I can't help croaking. I wonder whatDan thought at not seeing you again? It was wise; but he would haveenjoyed another look at home faces before he went into thewilderness,' said Mrs Jo regretfully.

'Much better so. We left notes and all we could think of that hemight need, and slipped away before he came. Bess really seemedrelieved; I'm sure I was'; and Mrs Amy smoothed an anxious line outof her white forehead, as she smiled at her daughter, laughinghappily among her cousins.

Mrs Jo shook her head as if the silver lining of that cloud was hardto find; but she had no time to croak again, for just then Mr Laurie came in looking well pleased at something.

'A new picture has arrived; face towards the music-room, good people,and tell me how you like it. I call it "Only a fiddler", afterAndersen's story. What name will you give it?'

As he spoke he threw open the wide doors, and just beyond they saw ayoung man standing, with a beaming face, and a violin in his hand.There was no doubt about the name to this picture, and with the cry'Nat! Nat!' there was a general uprising. But Daisy reached himfirst, and seemed to have lost her usual composure somewhere on theway, for she clung to him, sobbing with the shock of a surprise andjoy too great for her to bear quietly. Everything was settled by thattearful and tender embrace, for, though Mrs Meg speedily detached herdaughter, it was only to take her place; while Demi shook Nat's handwith brotherly warmth, and Josie danced round them like Macbeth'sthree witches in one, chanting in her most tragic tones:

'Chirper thou wast; second violin thou art; first thou shalt be.Hail, all hail!'

This caused a laugh, and made things gay and comfortable at once.Then the usual fire of questions and answers began, to be kept upbriskly while the boys admired Nat's blond beard and foreign clothes,the girls his improved appearance - for he was ruddy with good Englishbeef and beer, and fresh with the sea-breezes which had blown himswiftly home - and the older folk rejoiced over his prospects. Ofcourse all wanted to hear him play; and when tongues tired, he gladlydid his best for them, surprising the most critical by his progressin music even more than by the energy and self-possession which madea new man of bashful Nat. By and by when the violin - that most humanof all instruments - had sung to them the loveliest songs withoutwords, he said, looking about him at these old friends with what MrBhaer called a 'feeling-full' expression of happiness and content:

'Now let me play something that you will all remember though youwon't love it as I do'; and standing in the attitude which Ole Bullhas immortalized, he played the street melody he gave them the firstnight he came to Plumfield. They remembered it, and joined in theplaintive chorus, which fitly expressed his own emotions:

'Now I feel better,' said Mrs Jo, as they all trooped down the hillsoon after. 'Some of our boys are failures, but I think this one isgoing to be a success, and patient Daisy a happy girl at last. Nat isyour work, Fritz, and I congratulate you heartily.'

'Ach, we can but sow the seed and trust that it falls on good ground.I planted, perhaps, but you watched that the fowls of the air did notdevour it, and brother Laurie watered generously; so we will sharethe harvest among us, and be glad even for a small one,heart's-dearest.'

'I thought the seed had fallen on very stony ground with my poor Dan;but I shall not be surprised if he surpasses all the rest in the realsuccess of life, since there is more rejoicing over one repentantsinner than many saints,' answered Mrs Jo, still clinging fast to herblack sheep although a whole flock of white ones trotted happilybefore her.

It is a strong temptation to the weary historian to close the presenttale with an earthquake which should engulf Plumfield and itsenvirons so deeply in the bowels of the earth that no youthfulSchliemann could ever find a vestige of it. But as that somewhatmelodramatic conclusion might shock my gentle readers, I willrefrain, and forestall the usual question, 'How did they end?' bybriefly stating that all the marriages turned out well. The boysprospered in their various callings; so did the girls, for Bess andJosie won honours in their artistic careers, and in the course oftime found worthy mates. Nan remained a busy, cheerful, independentspinster, and dedicated her life to her suffering sisters and theirchildren, in which true woman's work she found abiding happiness. Dannever married, but lived, bravely and usefully, among his chosenpeople till he was shot defending them, and at last lay quietlyasleep in the green wilderness he loved so well, with a lock ofgolden hair upon his breast, and a smile on his face which seemed tosay that Aslauga's Knight had fought his last fight and was at peace.Stuffy became an alderman, and died suddenly of apoplexy after apublic dinner. Dolly was a society man of mark till he lost hismoney, when he found congenial employment in a fashionable tailoringestablishment. Demi became a partner, and lived to see his name abovethe door, and Rob was a professor at Laurence College; but Teddyeclipsed them all by becoming an eloquent and famous clergyman, tothe great delight of his astonished mother. And now, havingendeavoured to suit everyone by many weddings, few deaths, and asmuch prosperity as the eternal fitness of things will permit, let themusic stop, the lights die out, and the curtain fall for ever on theMarch family.