ch proceedings."

"Brother, it all rests with you. If you will bring them together, I will
never doubt you again."

"No, my dear, I'll not hold you to that. You shall doubt me as often as
you like; but I will keep my promises all the same."

You see, I am trying new tactics with Jane now. Magnanimity, patient
forgiveness of injuries, disinterested and persistent affection, will in
time soften the most obdurate. After Clarice goes off, there will be so
few of us left that I can't afford to be on any but the best terms with
such as remain. And then my sister, when she is willing to do
herself--and me--justice, has some quite creditable traits.

XXIV.

TO WAYBACK AGAIN.

I pass succeeding interviews, of which there were several. Poor Clarice
had little to say, but was quite willing to listen to any suggestions of
mine. What Jane unkindly calls beating about the bush is necessary with
a person of her sensitive organization. She seems to feel that she has
fallen from her old estate, and is not yet established in a new one. I
am satisfied that she never would have made those admissions, slight as
they are, and allowed me to go on this secret embassy, if she had only
herself to consider. For the first time duty to others has come into
collision with her pride, and shaken the citadel of her reserve. Always
hitherto she has had things and people come to her; the exercise has
been in keeping them off. To want, to seek, to invite--to lift a finger,
unless in the way of small and graceful social management--this is new
to her, and she takes it hard. The thing I have to do beyond all others
is to preserve her dignity: she knows I can be trusted for that, though
Jane does not. I can't blame Jane: she has never seen me conduct an
affair like this, nor has any one else, for the simple reason that I
never had it to do till now. I am only her brother: she has had
experience of all my failings, and is imperfectly acquainted with my
resources. Mabel is more satisfactory. She has not figured as much as
some others in this chronicle; connubial modesty prevents my making her
prominent. But she too possesses some very good traits; especially she
has a way of bringing forward and dwelling upon points which nobody else
would think of mentioning. She used to scold me sometimes, but that was
chiefly when she thought I was not treating Clarice well. She lays
great stress on ties of blood, and considers herself natural guardian
and de