something
about it to you to-night."

"Not a word, Aunt Stanbury."

"Then he will."

"Dear aunt, I do so wish you would prevent it. I don't like him. I
don't indeed."

"Not like him!"

"No;--I don't care for him a bit, and I never shall. I can't help
it, Aunt Stanbury. I thought I would try, but I find it would be
impossible. You can't want me to marry a man if I don't love him."

"I never heard of such a thing in my life. Not love him! And why
shouldn't you love him? He's a gentleman. Everybody respects him.
He'll have plenty to make you comfortable all your life! And then why
didn't you tell me before?"

"I didn't know, Aunt Stanbury. I thought that perhaps--"

"Perhaps what?"

"I could not say all at once that I didn't care for him, when I had
never so much as thought about it for a moment before."

"You haven't told him this?"

"No, I have not told him. I couldn't begin by telling him, you know."

"Then I must pray that you will think about it again. Have you
imagined what a great thing for you it would be to be established for
life,--so that you should never have any more trouble again about a
home, or about money, or anything? Don't answer me now, Dorothy, but
think of it. It seemed to me that I was doing such an excellent thing
for both of you." So saying Miss Stanbury left the room, and Dorothy
was enabled to obey her, at any rate, in one matter. She did think of
it. She laid awake thinking of it almost all the night. But the more
she thought of it, the less able was she to realise to herself any
future comfort or happiness in the idea of becoming Mrs. Gibson.

CHAPTER XXXII.

THE "FULL MOON" AT ST. DIDDULPH'S.

The receipt of Mrs. Trevelyan's letter on that Monday morning was a
great surprise both to Mr. and Mrs. Outhouse. There was no time for
any consideration, no opportunity for delaying their arrival till
they should have again referred the matter to Mr. Trevelyan. Their
two nieces were to be with them on that evening, and even the
telegraph wires, if employed with such purpose, would not be quick
enough to stop their coming. The party, as they knew, would have left
Nuncombe Putney before the arrival of the letter at the parsonage of
St. Diddulph's. There would have been nothing in this to have caused
vexation, had it not been decided between Trevelyan and Mr. Outhouse
that Mrs. Trevelyan was not to find a home at the parsonage. Mr.
Outhouse was greatly afraid of being so entang