interview, give him his dismissal
as speedily and withal as kindly as possible, and get him out of the
house without delay--it was still early in the evening, and who knew but
that she might succeed in getting rid of her unwelcome suitor before the
welcome one put in an appearance?

So, laying aside her pen, she motioned him to follow her into the large
garden at the back of the house, where they would be perfectly secure
from observation, and herself led the way.

She conducted her cousin to a little summer-house at the lower end of
the garden, and, motioning him to a seat said--

"Now, Cousin Edward, what is this important communication which you have
to make? Be as brief as possible, if you please, for I really cannot
spare you much time."

"I will," he said. Then, pausing for a moment, and making an
unsuccessful attempt to gain possession of her hand, he remarked--

"I think you must have already guessed what it is that I have to say to
you, Lucy. You cannot be ignorant of the feeling with which I regard
you; you must have discovered long ago that I love you, Lucy, deeply,
passionately, tenderly, as a man loves only once in his lifetime. We
have not known each other _very_ long, it is true," he continued after a
slight pause, during which he had vainly looked into her downcast face
for some sign of encouragement, "but the time has been long enough for
me to learn that all my hopes of future happiness depend on you; and I
think it has also been long enough to enable you to judge whether you
can entrust your happiness to me or not. I know I am by no means what I
ought to be,"--here he made another pause, hoping for some word or sign
of disclaimer, which, however, never came--"but I hope you will not
judge me too harshly. I am an orphan, remember. Robbed at an early age
of a mother's tender care and gentle training, I have been left pretty
much to the mercy of strangers, who allowed me to grow up to manhood
without an effort to check the development of those evil propensities
which we all alike inherit from our first parents; and then, too, I have
had the misfortune to be thrown--against my will, I honestly assure
you--into evil companionship. But, in spite of all these disadvantages,
I flatter myself that I am by no means a bad sort of fellow; and if you
will only take me in hand, Lucy, I feel sure you could make a reformed
character of me. And then, too, consider the society into which I could
introduce