he could thus smile at her father's joke, she had already made up her
mind that there was still something to be learned as to her promised
husband before she could place herself altogether in his hands. She
would ask him whether he thought himself liable to injury from this
proposed marriage; and though he should deny any such thought, she would
know from the manner of his denial what his true feelings were.

And he, too, on that night, during his silent walk with Miss Le Smyrger,
had entertained some similar thoughts. 'I fear she is obstinate', he had
said to himself, and then he had half accused her of being sullen also.
'If that be her temper, what a life of misery I have before me!'

'Have you fixed a day yet?' his aunt asked him as they came near to her
house.

'No, not yet; I don't know whether it will suit me to fix it before I
leave.'

'Why, it was but the other day you were in such a hurry.'

'Ah--yes-I have thought more about it since then.'

'I should have imagined that this would depend on what Patty thinks,'
said Miss Le Smyrger, standing up for the privileges of her sex. 'It is
presumed that the gentleman is always ready as soon as the lady will
consent.'

'Yes, in ordinary cases it is so; but when a girl is taken out of her
own sphere--'

'Her own sphere! Let me caution you, Master John, not to talk to Patty
about her own sphere.'

'Aunt Penelope, as Patience is to be my wife and not yours, I must claim
permission to speak to her on such subjects as may seem suitable to me.'
And then they parted--not in the best humour with each other.

On the following day Captain Broughton and Miss Woolsworthy did not meet
till the evening. She had said, before those few ill-omened words had
passed her lover's lips, that she would probably be at Miss Le
Smyrger's house on the following morning. Those ill-omened words did
pass her lover's lips, and then she remained at home. This did not come
from sullenness, nor even from anger, but from a conviction that it
would be well that she should think much before she met him again. Nor
was he anxious to hurry a meeting. His thought--his base thought--was
this; that she would be sure to come up to the Colne after him; but she
did not come, and therefore in the evening he went down to her, and
asked her to walk with him.

They went away by the path that led by Helpholme, and little was said
between them till they had walked some mile together. Patience, as she
went