we say so."

"For my sake!"

"Yes, for your sake; for your sake;" and she put his hand inside her
arm, and almost pressed it to her bosom. "For your sake, certainly,
George; you of whom we are so much bound to think."

"Then for my own sake I disdain any such solicitude. I know the
world, at any rate, as well as either of you--"

"Ah! I am not sure of that," said Caroline.

"And I know well, that our joint income should be ample for the next
four or five years. You will have to give up your horse--"

"I should think nothing of that, George; nothing."

"And that is all. How many thousand married couples are there, do you
suppose, in London, who are now living on less than what our income
will be?"

"Many thousands, doubtless. But very few, probably not one, so living
happily, when the husband has been brought up in such a manner as has
been Master George Bertram."

"Caroline, my belief is, that you know nothing about it. Some of your
would-be-grand friends here in Littlebath have been frightening you
on the score of income."

"I have no friend in Littlebath to whom I would condescend to speak
on such a matter, except aunt Mary." Caroline's tone as she said this
showed some slight offence; but not more than she had a right to
show.

"And what do you say, aunt Mary?"

"Well, I really agree with Caroline; I really do."

"Ah, she has talked you over." This was true.

"And what is the date, Miss Waddington, that you are now kind enough
to name for our wedding-day?" asked George, in a tone half of
anger and half of banter. To Caroline's ear, the anger seemed to
predominate.

"The day after you shall have been called to the bar, Mr. Bertram.
That is, if the press of two such great events together will not be
too much for you."

"Of course you know that that is putting it off for nearly three
years?"

"For more than two, I believe, certainly."

"And you can talk quite coolly about such a delay as that?"

"Not quite coolly, George; but, at any rate, with a fixed purpose."

"And am not I then to have a fixed purpose also?"

"Certainly, dearest, you can. You can say, if you are cruel enough,
that it shall be postponed for two years again, after that. Or you
can say, if you will do so, that under such circumstances you will
not marry me at all. We have each got what you lawyers call a veto.
Now, George, I put my veto upon poverty for you, and discomfort, and
an untidy house, and the perils of a complain