sed by each of them and did whisper
something as to her hope that she might be able to make Mr. Gilmore
happy. There was certainly no triumph; and there was no visible sign
of regret. When she was asked whether she would not wish that he
should come to the vicarage, she declared that she would have him
come just as he pleased. If she only knew of his coming beforehand
she would take care that she would be within to receive him. Whatever
might be his wishes, she would obey them. Mrs. Fenwick suggested that
Gilmore would like her to go up to the Privets, and look at the house
which was to be her future home. She promised that she would go with
him at any hour that he might appoint. Then there was something said
as to fixing the day of the wedding. "It is not to be immediately,"
she replied; "he promised me that he would give me time." "She speaks
of it as though she was going to be hung," the Vicar said afterwards
to his wife.

On the day after her engagement she saw Gilmore, and then she wrote
to her aunt to tell her the tidings. Her letter was very short, and
had not Miss Marrable thoroughly understood the character of her
niece, and the agony of the struggle to which Mary was now subjected,
it would have seemed to be cold and ungrateful. "My dear Aunt," said
the letter, "Yesterday I accepted Mr. Gilmore's offer. I know you
will be glad to hear this, as you have always thought that I ought
to do so. No time has been fixed for the wedding, but it will not be
very soon. I hope I may do my duty to him and make him happy; but I
do not know whether I should not have been more useful in remaining
with my affectionate aunt." That was the whole letter, and there
was no other friend to whom she herself communicated the tidings.
It occurred to her for a moment that she would write to Walter
Marrable;--but Walter Marrable had told her nothing of Edith
Brownlow. Walter Marrable would learn the news fast enough. And then,
the writing of such a letter would not have been very easy to her.

On the Sunday afternoon, after church, she walked up to the Privets
with her lover. The engagement had been made on the previous
Thursday, and this was the first occasion on which she had been
alone with him for more than a minute or two at a time since she had
then parted from him. They started immediately from the churchyard,
passing out through the gate which led into Mr. Trumbull's field, and
it was understood that they were to return for an