triumph at the idea of
having a husband, and going to that husband with a fortune of her
own. That Mr. Gibson might hesitate she had thought very likely.
It is thus in general that women regard the feelings, desires, and
aspirations of other women. You will hardly ever meet an elderly lady
who will not speak of her juniors as living in a state of breathless
anxiety to catch husbands. And the elder lady will speak of
the younger as though any kind of choice in such catching was
quite disregarded. The man must be a gentleman,--or, at least,
gentlemanlike,--and there must be bread. Let these things be given,
and what girl won't jump into what man's arms? Female reader, is it
not thus that the elders of your sex speak of the younger? When old
Mrs. Stanbury heard that Nora Rowley had refused Mr. Glascock, the
thing was to her unintelligible; and it was now quite unintelligible
to Miss Stanbury that Dorothy should prefer a single life to
matrimony with Mr. Gibson.

It must be acknowledged, on Aunt Stanbury's behalf, that Dorothy was
one of those yielding, hesitating, submissive young women, trusting
others, but doubting ever of themselves, as to whom it is natural
that their stronger friends should find it expedient to decide for
them. Miss Stanbury was almost justified in thinking that unless she
were to find a husband for her niece, her niece would never find
one for herself. Dorothy would drift into being an old maid, like
Priscilla, simply because she would never assert herself,--never
put her best foot foremost. Aunt Stanbury had therefore taken upon
herself to put out a foot; and having carefully found that Mr.
Gibson was "willing," had conceived that all difficulties were over.
She would be enabled to do her duty by her niece, and establish
comfortably in life, at any rate, one of her brother's children. And
now Dorothy was taking upon herself to say that she did not like
the gentleman! Such conduct was almost equal to writing for a penny
newspaper!

On the following morning, after breakfast, when Brooke Burgess was
gone out to call upon his uncle,--which he insisted upon doing
openly, and not under the rose, in spite of Miss Stanbury's great
gravity on the occasion,--there was a very serious conversation, and
poor Dorothy had found herself to be almost silenced. She did argue
for a time; but her arguments seemed, even to herself, to amount to
so little! Why shouldn't she love Mr. Gibson? That was a question
which