Elsie could she have seen it.
"Settled it; how do you mean?"

"Why he never had refused me anything in all his life," said Elsie; "it
was not likely he would begin so late! Nobody ever does refuse me
anything; now, remember that, Bess."

"Yes, dear! So you told Grantley you were very fond of me--"

"And that I wanted him to marry you--of course I did."

It was only Elsie's childish nonsense; Elizabeth felt how foolish it was
to heed it, and yet she could not repress a desire to question further.

"That was long after he came home, Elsie?"

"Yes; but I had written him all sorts of things about you; and you
remember when he came to the school to visit me, how I made you go down
without telling you who was there."

"Yes--I remember."

"He praised you very highly, and I told him what a dear you were; and
how sad it was for you to have lost all your fortune and be obliged to
teach."

The color slightly deepened on Elizabeth's cheek; was it possible that
in the beginning Grantley Mellen had been interested in her from a
feeling of pity and commiseration?

Her engagement had been a brief one; during it, the days had passed in a
constant whirl of excitement and happiness, and she had found little
time to question or reflect: up to the last hour there had been no
shadow on her enjoyment--she had resolutely swept aside everything but
her deep happiness.

But it was strange that in the very first flush of her married life this
conversation with Elsie should come up. She knew it was only the girl's
heedlessness and pretty egotism that made her talk in this really cruel
fashion, she was sure of that; still her nature was too proud and
self-reliant, for the idea that Mellen had been first attracted towards
her from sympathy at her lonely condition, to be at all pleasant.

But Elsie was going on with her careless revelations, playing with the
rings which Mellen had put one after another on those delicate fingers
during their engagement, making each one precious with kisses and loving
words.

"So, when I saw how sorry he was for you, I knew that I should have my
own way. I longed to see this dear old house open once more; it had been
given up to the servants ever since he hurried off to Europe; and I
wanted you for my companion always, you darling."

"It was fortunate for your wishes that Grantley's heart inclined in the
direction you had marked out," said Elizabeth.

"Oh," exclaimed Elsie with hasty recklessness, an