rissa close to her bosom. "Tell Mary," continued Sir Thomas, "that
I will see her when she is at liberty. Patience, you can ask Ralph
whether it will suit him to stay for dinner. I am tired and will go
up-stairs myself." And so the two girls were left together.

"Patty, take me away," said Clarissa. "I must never see him
again,--never!--nor her."

"She will not accept him, Clary."

"Yes, she will. I know she will. She is a sly, artful creature. And I
have been so good to her."

"No, Clary;--I think not;--but what does it matter? He is unworthy.
He can be nothing to you now. Papa was right. He is unworthy."

"I care nothing for that. I only care for him. Oh, Patty, take me
away. I could not bear to see them when they come out."

Then Patience took her sister up to their joint room, and laid the
poor sufferer on the bed, and throwing herself on her knees beside
the bed, wept over her sister and caressed her. That argument of
Ralph's unworthiness was nothing to Clarissa. She did not consider
herself to be so worthy but what she might forgive any sin, if only
the chance of forgiving such sin were given to her. At this moment in
her heart of hearts her anger was more against her rival than against
the man. She had not yet taught herself to think of all his baseness
to her,--had only as yet had time to think that that evil had come
upon her which she had feared from the first moment of her cousin's
arrival.

Presently Patience heard the door opened of the room down-stairs
and heard Mary's slow step as she crossed the hall. She understood
well that some one should be below, and with another single word of
affection to her sister, she went down-stairs. "Well, Mary," she
said, looking into her cousin's face.

"There is nothing particular to tell," said Mary, with a gentle
smile.

"Of course we all knew what he wanted."

"Then of course you all knew what I should say to him."

"I knew," said Patience.

"I am sure that Clary knew," said Mary. "But he is all alone there,
and will not know what to do with himself. Won't you go to him?"

"You will go up to Clary?" Mary nodded her head, and then Patience
crossed the hall to liberate the rejected suitor. Mary stood for
awhile thinking. She already knew from what Patience had said, that
Clarissa had suspected her, and she felt that there should have been
no such suspicion. Clarissa had not understood, but ought to have
understood. For a moment she was angry, and was dis