sit his
friends, he accepts none. Father, I think he cannot afford to do so."

"Cannot afford to visit! Why?"

"Visiting requires dress, and dress money. And he does so much
gratuitous work now in the beginning of his career that he has but
little money; and his father will not help him at all, because they
differ in politics."

"Yes, I know they do; but the young man is quite right. I agree with his
views perfectly. He will make his mark in the world some of these days,
and then his father will be proud of him."

Sybil blushed with delight to hear her lover so praised by one in whose
hands their happiness rested.

"But, my child, he was wrong and you were wrong to have entered into any
engagement without my sanction," said the old man very gravely.

"There is no engagement, father," gently answered Sybil.

"Ah! no engagement? that is well! By my soul, though, it was not right
for him even to have wooed you without my consent! Nor can I conceive
what opportunity he has ever had to do so. He never comes here."

"He has never wooed me, dear father."

"EH!"

"He has never sought my hand."

"But I thought you gave me to understand that you love each other!"

"So we do, father."

"Then, if he loves you, why don't he come and tell me so like an
honorable man?"

"Father, he has never even told _me_ so."

"EH!"

"He has never breathed a word of love to me."

"Then how the deuce do you know that he loves you, girl?"

"Oh, by every glance of his eyes, by every tone of his voice, and by my
own heart! Oh, father, do you think I would bear to tell you this, if I
were not sure of it."

"Umph, umph! But why don't he speak?--that's what I want to know! Why
don't he speak?"

"Dear father, can you not comprehend that he is too proud to do so?"

"Too proud! By my word! It is a new hearing that a Howe should be too
proud to seek an alliance with a Berners!" exclaimed old Bertram hotly,
rising from his chair.

"Old age ne'er cooled the Douglas blood,"

and it had not cooled his.

Sybil smiled to see how utterly he had misunderstood her, and making him
sit down again, she said,

"You dear old darling, it is not that! It is the very opposite to that.
It is because he is poor and we are rich, and he is too proud to be
called a fortune-hunter."

"Oh, I understand! I understand!

'Among the rest young Edwin bowed,
But never told his love.
Wisdom, and worth were all he had.'"

"Yes, dear f