myself, 'Augustus Musselboro, that is the woman
for you, if you can only win her.' But there was so much against
me,--wasn't there?" She would not even take advantage of this by
assuring him that there certainly always had been much against him,
but allowed him to go on till he should run out all the length of
his tether. "I mean, of course, in the way of money," he continued.
"I hadn't much that I could call my own when your respected mamma
first allowed me to become acquainted with you. But it's different
now; and I think I may say that I'm all right in that respect. Poor
Broughton's going in this way will make it a deal smoother to me; and
I may say that I and your mamma will be all in all to each other now
about money." Then he stopped.

"I don't quite understand what you mean by all this," said Clara.

"I mean that there isn't a more devoted fellow in all London than
what I am to you." Then he was about to go down on one knee, but it
occurred to him that it would not be convenient to kneel to a lady
who would stand quite close to the door. "One and one, if they're put
together well, will often make more than two, and so they shall with
us," said Musselboro, who began to feel that it might be expedient to
throw a little spirit into his words.

"If you have done," said Clara, "you may as well hear from me for a
minute. And I hope you will have sense to understand that I really
mean what I say."

"I hope you will remember what are your mamma's wishes."

"Mamma's wishes have no influence whatsoever with me in such matters
as this. Mamma's arrangements with you are for her own convenience,
and I am not party to them. I do not know anything about mamma's
money, and I do not want to know. But under no possible circumstances
will I consent to become your wife. Nothing that mamma could say or
do would induce me even to think of it. I hope you will be man enough
to take this for an answer, and say nothing more about it."

"But, Miss Clara--"

"It's no good your Miss Claraing me, sir. What I have said you may be
sure I mean. Good-morning, sir." Then she opened the door, and left
him.

"By Jove, she is a Tartar," said Musselboro to himself, when he was
alone. "They're both Tartars, but the younger is the worse." Then he
began to speculate whether Fortune was not doing the best for him in
so arranging that he might have the use of the Tartar-mother's money
without binding himself to endure for life the Tartar qualitie