lities would not stare at one so. You
would be a pleasant dream to me, which I should be free to indulge in
without reproach of my conscience; I should live in hopeful expectation
of your returning fully qualified to boldly claim me of my father. There,
I have been terribly frank, I know.'

He in his turn had lapsed into gloomy breathings now. 'I did plan it as
you state,' he answered. 'I did mean to go away the moment I had your
promise. But, dear Christine, I did not foresee two or three things. I
did not know what a lot of pain it would cost to tear myself from you.
And I did not know that my stingy uncle--heaven forgive me calling him
so!--would so flatly refuse to advance me money for my purpose--the
scheme of travelling with a first-rate tutor costing a formidable sum o'
money. You have no idea what it would cost!'

'But I have said that I'll find the money.'

'Ah, there,' he returned, 'you have hit a sore place. To speak truly,
dear, I would rather stay unpolished a hundred years than take your
money.'

'But why? Men continually use the money of the women they marry.'

'Yes; but not till afterwards. No man would like to touch your money at
present, and I should feel very mean if I were to do so in present
circumstances. That brings me to what I was going to propose. But
no--upon the whole I will not propose it now.'

'Ah! I would guarantee expenses, and you won't let me! The money is my
personal possession: it comes to me from my late grandfather, and not
from my father at all.'

He laughed forcedly and pressed her hand. 'There are more reasons why I
cannot tear myself away,' he added. 'What would become of my uncle's
farming? Six hundred acres in this parish, and five hundred in the
next--a constant traipsing from one farm to the other; he can't be in two
places at once. Still, that might be got over if it were not for the
other matters. Besides, dear, I still should be a little uneasy, even
though I have your promise, lest somebody should snap you up away from
me.'

'Ah, you should have thought of that before. Otherwise I have committed
myself for nothing.'

'I should have thought of it,' he answered gravely. 'But I did not.
There lies my fault, I admit it freely. Ah, if you would only commit
yourself a little more, I might at least get over that difficulty! But I
won't ask you. You have no idea how much you are to me still; you could
not argue so coolly if you had. What prop