en he waited for an answer.

As she sat in her widow's weeds, there was not, to the eye, the
promise in her of much sweet companionship. Her old crape bonnet
had been lugged and battered about--not out of all shape, as hats
and bonnets are sometimes battered by young ladies, in which guise,
if the young ladies themselves be pretty, the battered hats and
bonnets are often more becoming than ever they were in their proper
shapes--but so as closely to fit her head, and almost hide her
face. Her dress was so made, and so put on, as to give to her the
appearance of almost greater age than her mother's. She had studied
to divest herself of all outward show of sweet companionship; but
perhaps she was not the less, on that account, gratified to find that
she had not altogether succeeded.

"I have done with the world, and all the world's vanities and cares,"
she said, shaking her head.

"No one can have done with the world as long as there is work in it
for him or her to do. The monks and nuns tried that, and you know
what they came to."

"But I am a widow."

"Yes, my friend; and have shown yourself, as such, very willing to do
your part. But do you not know that you could be more active and more
useful as a clergyman's wife than you can be as a solitary woman?"

"But my heart is buried, Mr. Prong."

"No; not so. While the body remains in this vale of tears, the heart
must remain with it." Mrs. Prime shook her head; but in an anatomical
point of view, Mr. Prong was no doubt strictly correct. "Other hopes
will arise,--and perhaps, too, other cares, but they will be sources
of gentle happiness."

Mrs. Prime understood him as alluding to a small family, and again
shook her head at the allusion.

"What I have said may probably have taken you by surprise."

"Yes, it has, Mr. Prong;--very much."

"And if so, it may be that you would wish time for consideration
before you give me an answer."

"Perhaps that will be best, Mr. Prong."

"Let it be so. On what day shall we say? Will Friday suit you? If I
come to you on Friday morning, perhaps Miss Pucker will be there."

"Yes, she will."

"And in the afternoon."

"We shall be at the Dorcas meeting."

"I don't like to trouble you to come here again."

Mrs. Prime herself felt that there was a difficulty. Hitherto she had
entertained no objection to calling on Mr. Prong at his own house.
His little sitting-room had been as holy ground to her,--almost as
part of the chu