to-day." This was said, soon after breakfast, by Mr Whittlestaff to
Mary Lawrie, on the day after Mr Gordon's coming. "I think we'll
go."

"Could you not leave me behind?"

"By no means. I want you to become intimate with the girls, who are
good girls."

"But Mr Gordon is there."

"Exactly. That is just what I want. It will be better that you and
he should meet each other, without the necessity of making a scene."
From this it may be understood that Mr Whittlestaff had explained to
Mary as much as he had thought necessary of what had occurred between
him and John Gordon, and that Mary's answers had been satisfactory
to his feelings. Mary had told him that she was contented with her
lot in life, as Mr Whittlestaff had proposed it for her. She had
not been enthusiastic; but then he had not expected it. She had not
assured him that she would forget John Gordon. He had not asked her.
She had simply said that if he were satisfied,--so was she. "I think
that with me, dearest, at any rate, you will be safe." "I am quite
sure that I shall be safe," she had answered. And that had been
sufficient.

But the reader will also understand from this that he had sought for
no answer to those burning questions which John Gordon had put to
him. Had she loved John Gordon the longest? Did she love him the
best? There was no doubt a certain cautious selfishness in the way
in which he had gone to work. And yet of general selfishness it was
impossible to accuse him. He was willing to give her everything,--to
do all for her. And he had first asked her to be his wife, with every
observance. And then he could always protect himself on the plea that
he was doing the best he could for her. His property was assured,--in
the three per cents, as Mrs Baggett had suggested; whereas John
Gordon's was all in diamonds. How frequently do diamonds melt and
come to nothing? They are things which a man can carry in his pocket,
and lose or give away. They cannot,--so thought Mr Whittlestaff,--be
settled in the hands of trustees, or left to the charge of an
executor. They cannot be substantiated. Who can say that, when
looking to a lady's interest, this bit of glass may not come up
instead of that precious stone? "John Gordon might be a very steady
fellow; but we have only his own word for that,"--as Mr Whittlestaff
observed to himself. There could not be a doubt but that Mr
Whittlestaff himself was the safer staff of the two on which a young
lady migh