rances, Lady Laura."

"Of all hope, then?"

"I have no such hope."

"And of all lingering desires?"

"Well, yes;--and of all lingering desires. I know now that it cannot
be. Your brother is welcome to her."

"Ah;--of that I know nothing. He, with his perversity, has estranged
her. But I am sure of this,--that if she do not marry him, she will
marry no one. But it is not on account of him that I speak. He must
fight his own battles now."

"I shall not interfere with him, Lady Laura."

"Then why should you not establish yourself by a marriage that will
make place a matter of indifference to you? I know that it is within
your power to do so." Phineas put his hand up to his breastcoat
pocket, and felt that Mary's letter,--her precious letter,--was there
safe. It certainly was not in his power to do this thing which Lady
Laura recommended to him, but he hardly thought that the present was
a moment suitable for explaining to her the nature of the impediment
which stood in the way of such an arrangement. He had so lately
spoken to Lady Laura with an assurance of undying constancy of his
love for Miss Effingham, that he could not as yet acknowledge the
force of another passion. He shook his head by way of reply. "I tell
you that it is so," she said with energy.

"I am afraid not."

"Go to Madame Goesler, and ask her. Hear what she will say."

"Madame Goesler would laugh at me, no doubt."

"Psha! You do not think so. You know that she would not laugh. And
are you the man to be afraid of a woman's laughter? I think not."

Again he did not answer her at once, and when he did speak the tone
of his voice was altered. "What was it you said of yourself, just
now?"

"What did I say of myself?"

"You regretted that you had consented to marry a man,--whom you did
not love."

"Why should you not love her? And it is so different with a man! A
woman is wretched if she does not love her husband, but I fancy that
a man gets on very well without any such feeling. She cannot domineer
over you. She cannot expect you to pluck yourself out of your own
soil, and begin a new growth altogether in accordance with the laws
of her own. It was that which Mr. Kennedy did."

"I do not for a moment think that she would take me, if I were to
offer myself."

"Try her," said Lady Laura energetically. "Such trials cost you but
little;--we both of us know that!" Still he said nothing of the
letter in his pocket. "It is everything that you