" Dora
allowed her head to droop upon his shoulder, and a sudden sense of
peace and rest fell temptingly upon her spirit.
"Dora, Dora Darling always, even when you are all my Dora!"
whispered Karl; but Dora released herself from his arms, and stood
upright. Her face was strong again now, although very white; and she
said,--
"Thank you, cousin. You are good and kind, as you always have been,
and I am glad you love me as I love you; but what else you have said
we will forget. I am too young to think of such things, and you will
not feel so to-morrow or next day. Be my brother, as you have been,
and let me be sister to you and Kitty, as aunt told us. I wish I
could make Kitty love me."
The young man would have persisted; but Dora, gravely shaking her
head, said,--
"Karl dear, you only distress me, and I want to be quiet. Do not
speak of this again for at least another year, and then, perhaps,
you will not want to."
"But in a year I may, if I do want to?" asked Karl eagerly.
"I don't want to say that; for I don't know that I should want you
to then," said Dora, with such exquisite simplicity, that the young
man laughed outright, and said,--
"But you don't know that you sha'n't, do you, darling Dorelle?"
"I didn't say so.
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