er reason for making this
journey; I wish to keep Pitt from coming over to America.'

Betty's heart made a bound as she read this letter, and went on with
faster beats than usual after she had folded it up. A voyage, and
London, and Pitt Dallas for a showman! What could be more alluring in
its temptation and promise? Going about in London with him to guide and
explain things--could opportunity be more favourable to finish the work
which last summer left undone? Betty's heart jumped at it; she knew she
would say yes to Mrs. Dallas; she could say nothing but yes; and yet,
questions did come up to her. Would it not be putting herself unduly
forward? would it not look as though she went on purpose to see--not
London but somebody in London? That would be the very truth, Betty
confessed to herself, with a pang of shame and humiliation; the pang
was keen, yet it did not change her resolution. What if? Nobody knew,
she argued, and nobody would have cause to suspect. There was reason
enough, ostensible, why she should go to England with Mrs. Dallas; if
she refused to visit all the old ladies who had sons, her social limits
would be restricted indeed. But Mrs. Dallas herself; would not she
understand? Mrs. Dallas understood enough already, Betty said to
herself defiantly; they were allies in this cause. It was very
miserable that it should be so; however, not now to be undone or set
aside. Lightly she had gone into Mrs. Dallas's proposition last summer;
if it had grown to be life and death earnest with her, there was no
need Mrs. Dallas should know _that_. It _was_ life and death earnest,
and she must go to London. It was a capital plan. To have met Pitt
Dallas again at Seaforth and again spent weeks in his mother's house
while he was there, would have been too obvious; this was better every
way. Of course she could not refuse such an invitation; such a chance
of seeing something of the world; she who had always been too poor to
travel. Pitt could not find any matter of surprise nor any ground for
criticism in her doing that. And it would give her all the opportunity
she wished for.

Here, most inopportunely, came before her the image of Esther. How
those two would suit each other! How infallibly Pitt would be devoted
to her if he could see her! But Betty said to herself that _she_ had a
better right. They did not know each other; he was nothing to Esther,
Esther was nothing to him. She set her teeth, and wrote to Mrs. Dallas
t