nd bide their time? Your present work is,
I know, too hard. In whatever you do, you have too much enthusiasm.
Do not kill yourself by work. For my sake, if I may still plead
my own sake, do not do so. You say you have given up that sort of
life to which your disposition would have led you. I do not believe
your disposition to be bad, and I should be grieved to think that
you debar yourself from pleasures that are not bad because you
are engaged to me." There was that in the eagerness of Bertram's
protestations on this point which could not but be flattering to any
girl; but Caroline, when she thought of it, did not wish to be so
flattered. She required less passion in her lover and more judgment.
She wanted him to be more awake to the fact that the true meaning
of their engagement was this, that they two should join themselves
together in their world's battle, in order that together each might
fight that battle more successfully than either of them could do
apart.

"I write this with great grief," she continued, "as I know that what
I write will grieve you. But I write it under a conviction that I am
doing my duty by you. I am ready, however, to acknowledge that such a
delay may not be in consonance with your intentions when you proposed
to me. That neither of us have deceived the other wilfully I am quite
sure; but it may be that we have misunderstood each other. If so,
dear George, let all this be as though it had never been. I do not
say this on my own behalf. If you so wish it, I am ready to hold
myself as yours, and to wait. Ready, I have said! That is a cold
word, and you may supply any other that your heart wishes. But if
this waiting be contrary to your wishes, be what you are not willing
to endure, then consider the matter as altogether in your own hands.
I certainly have no right to bind you to my will; all that I ask in
such case is, that your decision shall not be delayed."

Such was Miss Waddington's letter; a portion of it, at least, for not
above the half has been given here. Its effect upon Bertram had not
been exhilarating. In his heart he called her cold and heartless, and
at first resolved to take her at her word and break off from her.
He would willingly have done so as far as she was concerned; but he
could not bring himself to do it on his own part. He could not endure
to part with her, though he would willingly have punished her by
telling her that she had forfeited her claim to him. As it was,