her letter to-morrow. I would go back to
Canada if I had money enough."

Bluebell put on her hat. Whichever way she went she was quite certain
of meeting Mr. Dutton, to whom she wished to display this wonderful
document. It was all very well to laugh, but it certainly was most
discouraging and vexatious. Yet Mr. Dutton, when she saw him, gravely
affirmed it to be "quite as good an offer as he had expected, and was
only surprised at her getting any answers at all,"--which well indeed he
might be, considering that the advertisement never appeared in any paper,
and that the liberal proposals of Mrs. Giles Johnson were an emanation
from his own brain.

He proceeded to relate the most uncomfortable anecdotes of governess life
in England, making it appear that they were treated like white slaves,
and expected to know everything.

Bluebell, though only half believing it, began seriously to question
whether her small attainments were saleable at all. Her friend the
captain would go to sea again shortly, and having prevailed on Mrs.
Davidson to receive a small contribution towards her board, the ten
pounds were dwindling away.

Then, when she was reduced to the depths of perplexity and depression,
Harry Dutton cautiously pleaded his cause, and, as a strong will bent on
one object will always sway an irresolute mind, Bluebell listened, and
for once tried to realize what it would be. She had been frightened at
Dutton's precipitancy in the first instance; but now he had become in a
manner necessary to her, and she certainly liked him,--immensely. Still,
of course, after her experience of the _grande passion_, this mere
_entente cordiale_ could not be mistaken for the real article. But there
was another question: had she not, by meeting him so often, given him a
right so to speak, with fair expectation of success? She had heedlessly
walked into the snare with her eyes open, and felt no resisting power to
break through the mesh of circumstances that environed her.

Bluebell wavered and hesitated. Harry followed up his advantage. Ere a
few stars twinkled out, "single spies" on their colloquy, the struggle
was over, and the bold wooer had extorted from his _fiancee_ a promise
to marry him the following morning but one at a register office in
Liverpool.

The very next day they would probably not meet, as he had everything to
arrange, and also to prepare a lodging for her, for they had determined
to leave Liverpool immediately aft