ed I should be
utterly miserable if, conscious that I possessed her love, I was
compelled to give her up."

"My dear Harry, it is not for a man of unknown birth like myself to warn
you against the consequences of a misalliance; but you tell me that the
Castletons are a proud race, and that your father and brother are like
the rest of the family. You cannot for a moment suppose that they would
be otherwise than indignant were you to propose to marry this girl,
charming and beautiful as she may be. And I am afraid that your mother
and sister, though they might be pleased with her, would strongly oppose
your wishes."

"I should have hopes of winning them over. Algernon has no right to
interfere, and I do not think he would; and my father, proud as he is,
has so great an admiration for female beauty, that I believe were he to
see May, he would be compelled to acknowledge I had ample excuse for
wishing her to become my wife."

"I trust it may be so, Harry," said Headland. "I have spoken to you as
I felt bound to do as one of your oldest friends, and as I know you to
be thoroughly honourable and right-minded you would not be the cause of
pain and disappointment to any woman, especially to the young and
innocent creature you admire so much."

"I am grateful to you, Headland, indeed I am," exclaimed Harry, taking
his friend's hand. "I should have been wiser had I not spoken a second
time to Miss Halliburt, but I am sure that I should have been less than
human had I not done so. The fact is, my dear fellow, I am in for it.
But I will remember your warning, and, for her sake rather than my own,
not make love to her, and then, at all events, I shall have to suffer
alone, should insuperable difficulties to our marrying arise."

Though Headland had spoken thus frankly and faithfully to Harry, Harry,
from delicacy, could not bring himself to speak in the same way to his
friend. He felt very sure that Headland admired Julia, and from what
she had said, he fully suspected the secret of her heart. Would not his
father, however, object as much to Julia marrying Headland as he would
to his marrying the fisher-girl. The cases were, however, very
different. Headland, though of unknown birth, had gained a position for
himself, and Captain Fancourt had written in the highest terms of him,
and would, he thought, support his suite if he proposed. Still he was
too well acquainted with his father's proud unyielding temper not to