as an acquaintance, but that,
looking on him as a man of business, I had never expected
anything more. I then endeavoured to explain to him, that
I was not perhaps privileged, as some other girls might
be, to indulge my own feelings altogether: perhaps that
was saying too much, and might make him think that I was
in love with him; but, from the way I said it, I don't
think he would, for I was very much guarded in my manner,
and very collected; and then I told him, that in any
proposal of marriage that might be made to me, it would
be my duty to consult my family as much, if not more than
myself.

He said, of course; and asked whether he might speak to
papa. I tried to make him understand, that in talking of
my family, I did not exactly mean papa, or even mamma.
Of course I was thinking of what was due to the name of
Gresham. I know very well what papa would say. He would
give his consent in half a minute; he is so broken-hearted
by these debts. And, to tell you the truth, Amelia, I
think mamma would too. He did not seem quite to comprehend
what I meant; but he did say that he knew it was a high
ambition to marry into the family of the Greshams. I
am sure you would confess that he has the most proper
feelings; and as for expressing them no man could do it
better.

He owned that it was ambition to ally himself with a
family above his own rank in life, and that he looked to
doing so as a means of advancing himself. Now this was at
any rate honest. That was one of his motives, he said;
though, of course, not his first: and then he declared
how truly attached he was to me. In answer to this, I
remarked, that he had known me only a very short time.
This, perhaps, was giving him too much encouragement; but,
at that moment, I hardly knew what to say, for I did not
wish to hurt his feelings. He then spoke of his income.
He has fifteen hundred a year from the business, and that
will be greatly increased when his father leaves it; and
his father is much older then Mr Gumption, though he is
only the second partner. Mortimer Gazebee will be the
senior partner himself before very long; and perhaps that
does alter his position a little.

He has a very nice place down somewhere in Surrey; I have
heard mamma say it is quite a gentleman's place. It is let
now; but he will live there when he is married.