or,--which he
had done boldly to Sir Thomas, after but a short intimacy with the
family,--Patience had given him all her sympathy. Sir Thomas, having
looked at his circumstances, had made him welcome to the house, and
to his daughter's hand,--if he could win her heart. The stage had
been open to him, and Patience had been his most eager friend. But
all that had passed away,--and Clary had been obstinate. "Patty,"
she had said, with some little arrogance, "he has made a mistake.
He should have fallen in love with you." "Clergymen are as fond of
pretty girls as other men," Patty had said, with a smile. "And isn't
my Patty as pretty and as delicate as a primrose?" Clary had said,
embracing her sister. Pretty Patience Underwood was not;--but for
delicacy,--that with which Patience Underwood was gifted transcended
poor Clarissa's powers of comparison. So it was between them, and now
there was this acknowledged passion for the spendthrift!

Patience could see that her sister was not unhappy when she came in
from her walk,--was not moody,--was not heart-broken. And yet it had
seemed to her, before the walk began, while they were sauntering
about Mrs. Brownlow's garden, that Ralph had devoted himself entirely
to the new cousin, and that Clarissa had been miserable. Surely if he
had spoken during the walk,--if he had renewed his protestations of
love, if he were now regarded by Clary as her accepted lover, Clary
would not keep all this as a secret! It could not be that Clary
should have surrendered herself to a lover, and that their father
was to be allowed to remain in ignorance that it was so! And yet
how could it be otherwise if Clary was happy now,--Clary who had
acknowledged that she loved this man, and had now been leaning on
his arm for an hour beneath the moonlight? But Patience said not a
word. She could not bring herself to speak when speech might pain her
sister.

When they had been some half hour in bed, there stole a whisper
across the darkness of the chamber from one couch to the other;
"Patty, are you asleep?" Patience declared that she was wide awake.
"Then I'll come to you,"--and Clary's naked feet pattered across
the room. "I've just something to say, and I'll say it better here."
Patience made glad way for the intruder, and knew that now she would
hear it all. "Patty, it is better to wait."

"What do you mean, dear?"

"I mean this. I think he does like me; I'm almost sure he does."

"He said nothing to-