em all as that, it would make me very
unhappy. It's shocking to think of it."

"It is upon the theory of ladies and all young people," said her
husband, with a shrug, feeling his way to the matches on the mantel,
and then dropping them with a sign, as if recollecting that he must not
smoke there. "I've no doubt Tom feels himself an awful sinner. But
apparently he's resigned to his sin; he isn't going to give her up."

"I'm glad to say, for the sake of human nature, that SHE isn't
resigned--little as I like her," cried Mrs. Corey.

Her husband shrugged again. "Oh, there mustn't be any indecent haste.
She will instinctively observe the proprieties. But come, now, Anna!
you mustn't pretend to me here, in the sanctuary of home, that
practically the human affections don't reconcile themselves to any
situation that the human sentiments condemn. Suppose the wrong sister
had died: would the right one have had any scruple in marrying Tom,
after they had both 'waited a proper time,' as the phrase is?"

"Bromfield, you're shocking!"

"Not more shocking than reality. You may regard this as a second
marriage." He looked at her with twinkling eyes, full of the triumph
the spectator of his species feels in signal exhibitions of human
nature. "Depend upon it, the right sister will be reconciled; the
wrong one will be consoled; and all will go merry as a marriage bell--a
second marriage bell. Why, it's quite like a romance!" Here he laughed
outright again.

"Well," sighed the wife, "I could almost wish the right one, as you
call her, would reject Tom, I dislike her so much."

"Ah, now you're talking business, Anna," said her husband, with his
hands spread behind the back he turned comfortably to the fire. "The
whole Lapham tribe is distasteful to me. As I don't happen to have
seen our daughter-in-law elect, I have still the hope--which you're
disposed to forbid me--that she may not be quite so unacceptable as the
others."

"Do you really feel so, Bromfield?" anxiously inquired his wife.

"Yes--I think I do;" and he sat down, and stretched out his long legs
toward the fire.

"But it's very inconsistent of you to oppose the matter now, when
you've shown so much indifference up to this time. You've told me, all
along, that it was of no use to oppose it."

"So I have. I was convinced of that at the beginning, or my reason
was. You know very well that I am equal to any trial, any sacrifice,
day after to-morrow; bu