as right, the captain has been more like moth
and candle than consistent with his prudence, unless he thought it "a
toute epreuve". I wonder what came to pass last autumn, when I was ill,
and mamma's head full of me. He may not intend it, and she may not know
it, but I would by no means answer for Cupid's being guiltless of that
harassed look she has had ever since that ball-going summer. Oh! there
go that pretty study, Amy and her true knight. As to Guy, he is more
incomprehensible than ever; yet there is no avoiding obeying him, on the
principle on which that child in the "Moorland cottage" said she should
obey Don Quixote.'

So when his father came in, Charles wiled him into deferring the letter
till the next day, by giving him an indistinct hope that some notion
when the marriage would be, might be arrived at by that time. He
consented the more readily, because he was in haste to investigate a
complaint that had just been made of the union doctor; but his last
words to his wife and son before he went, were--'Of course, they must
marry directly, there is nothing on earth to wait for. Live at Redclyffe
alone? Not to be thought of. No, I'll see little Amy my Lady Morville,
before Philip goes abroad, if only to show him I am not a man to be
dictated to.'

Mrs. Edmonstone sighed; but when he was gone, she agreed with Charles
that there was nothing to wait for, and that it would be better for Guy
to take his wife at once with him, when he settled at Redclyffe. So it
must be whenever Amy could make up her mind to it; and thereupon they
made plans for future meetings, Charles announcing that the Prince of
the Black Isles would become locomotive, and Charlotte forming grand
designs upon Shag Island.

In the meantime, Guy and Amy were walking in the path through the wood,
where he began: 'I would not have asked you to do anything so unpleasant
as reading that letter, but I thought you ought to consider of it.'

'It was just like himself! How could he?' said Amy, indignantly.

'I wonder whether he will ever see his own harshness?' said Guy. 'It
is very strange, that with all his excellence and real kindness, there
should be some distortion in his view of all that concerns me. I cannot
understand it.'

'You must let me call it prejudice, Guy, in spite of your protest. It is
a relief to say something against him.'

'Amy, don't be venomous!' said Guy, in a playful tone of reproach.

'Yes; but you know it is not _me_ whom