monishingly, and extended her fat, waxy hands. Mattie still remained
silent.

"After all the polishing you have had, my daughter, to let your mind run
to such an unpolished young man. Drag a family down when a family is
going up, and there's the end of that family--with society I mean." Mrs.
Chapman tossed her head, and again returned to the mirror, saying as she
viewed herself in it: "Drag a low bred fellow into a well bred family, I
repeat, and down that family goes."

"Well, well, my dear mother shall have it all her own way," replied
Mattie, cheering up and assuming an air of indifference. "Anything to
relieve your anxiety, my dear mother. How nice it would be to have a
husband you admire so much, and to think that I obeyed your wishes in
everything. The fact is I had a very serious talk with Mr. Gusher
yesterday--"

"You didn't offend him with your eccentricities, I hope?" Mrs. Chapman
interrupted, enquiringly. "Mr. Gusher is such a polished gentleman, and
so very sensitive."

"I don't know how sensitive he may be, mother; but I told him just
exactly what I thought, as I would have told any one else. I told him
how much you admired him, and what a favorite he was generally; and that
if I consented to accept him for a husband, it would be solely to
accommodate my dear mother--"

"How very obstinate my daughter is," interposed Mrs. Chapman. "How very
distressing to have a daughter always in rebellion."

"I am sure you would not have me flatter Mr. Gusher with a falsehood,
mother," resumed Mattie. "I tried to impress him with the fact that I
was not good enough for so accomplished a gentleman; but he insisted
that I was, adding that he cared nothing for riches or station. As for
loving him, I told him plainly I didn't think I ever could, though there
was no knowing what changes time might work in my feelings. I gave him
my hand, nevertheless, and told him if he took me it must be with the
consequences."

Mr. Napoleon Bowles announced visitors, and this put an end to the
conversation. The reader must know that this was not a voluntary
yielding on the part of Mattie to the wishes of her mother. She only
adopted this course as part of a plan by which she hoped to gain time,
during which Tite might return, and thus afford her the means of
averting a dilemma into which her mother was forcing her.

CHAPTER XXX.

A TERRIBLE CALAMITY OVERTAKES THE FAMILY.

It was not to be expected that so pushing a woman