toring him practically in all respects that he much cared about to the
position which he had lost--or rather putting him in one that he already
liked much better. No wonder he was radiant when he came to explain his
plans to me.

He had some difficulty in telling all that had happened. He hesitated,
blushed, hummed and hawed. Misgivings began to cross his mind when he
found himself obliged to tell his story to someone else. He felt
inclined to slur things over, but I wanted to get at the facts, so I
helped him over the bad places, and questioned him till I had got out
pretty nearly the whole story as I have given it above.

I hope I did not show it, but I was very angry. I had begun to like
Ernest. I don't know why, but I never have heard that any young man to
whom I had become attached was going to get married without hating his
intended instinctively, though I had never seen her; I have observed that
most bachelors feel the same thing, though we are generally at some pains
to hide the fact. Perhaps it is because we know we ought to have got
married ourselves. Ordinarily we say we are delighted--in the present
case I did not feel obliged to do this, though I made an effort to
conceal my vexation. That a young man of much promise who was heir also
to what was now a handsome fortune, should fling himself away upon such a
person as Ellen was quite too provoking, and the more so because of the
unexpectedness of the whole affair.

I begged him not to marry Ellen yet--not at least until he had known her
for a longer time. He would not hear of it; he had given his word, and
if he had not given it he should go and give it at once. I had hitherto
found him upon most matters singularly docile and easy to manage, but on
this point I could do nothing with him. His recent victory over his
father and mother had increased his strength, and I was nowhere. I would
have told him of his true position, but I knew very well that this would
only make him more bent on having his own way--for with so much money why
should he not please himself? I said nothing, therefore, on this head,
and yet all that I could urge went for very little with one who believed
himself to be an artisan or nothing.

Really from his own standpoint there was nothing very outrageous in what
he was doing. He had known and been very fond of Ellen years before. He
knew her to come of respectable people, and to have borne a good
character, and to have b