"Gently, Godfrey! you are putting something into my head which I never

thought of before. You are tempting me with a new prospect, when all my

other prospects are closed before me. I tell you again, I am miserable

enough and desperate enough, if you say another word, to marry you on

your own terms. Take the warning, and go!"

"I won't even rise from my knees, till you have said yes!"

"If I say yes you will repent, and I shall repent, when it is too late!"

"We shall both bless the day, darling, when I pressed, and when you

yielded."

"Do you feel as confidently as you speak?"

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"You shall judge for yourself. I speak from what I have seen in my own

family. Tell me what you think of our household at Frizinghall. Do my

father and mother live unhappily together?"

"Far from it--so far as I can see."

"When my mother was a girl, Rachel (it is no secret in the family), she

had loved as you love--she had given her heart to a man who was unworthy

of her. She married my father, respecting him, admiring him, but nothing

more. Your own eyes have seen the result. Is there no encouragement in

it for you and for me?" * * See Betteredge's Narrative, chapter viii.

"You won't hurry me, Godfrey?"

"My time shall be yours."

"You won't ask me for more than I can give?"

"My angel! I only ask you to give me yourself."

"Take me!"

In those two words she accepted him!

He had another burst--a burst of unholy rapture this time. He drew her

nearer and nearer to him till her face touched his; and then--No! I

really cannot prevail upon myself to carry this shocking disclosure

any farther. Let me only say, that I tried to close my eyes before it

happened, and that I was just one moment too late. I had calculated, you

see, on her resisting. She submitted. To every right-feeling person of

my own sex, volumes could say no more.

Even my innocence in such matters began to see its way to the end of the

interview now. They understood each other so thoroughly by this time,

that I fully expected to see them walk off together, arm in arm, to be

married. There appeared, however, judging by Mr. Godfrey's next words,

to be one more trifling formality which it was necessary to observe.

He seated himself--unforbidden this time--on the ottoman by her side.

"Shall I speak to your dear mother?" he asked. "Or will you?"

She declined both alternatives.

"Let my mother hear nothing from either of us, until she is better. I

wish it to be kept a secret for the present, Godfrey. Go now, and come

back this evening. We have been here alone together quite long enough."




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