charges of ingratitude. Dorothy was thankful that it should be so,
and bore the glances with abject submission. And then there was a
great comfort to her in Brooke's friendship. On the second day after
Mr. Gibson had gone she found herself talking to Brooke quite openly
upon the subject. "The fact was, Mr. Burgess, that I didn't really
care for him. I know he's very good and all that, and of course Aunt
Stanbury meant it all for the best. And I would have done it if I
could, but I couldn't." Brooke patted her on the back,--not in the
flesh but in the spirit,--and told her that she was quite right. And
he expressed an opinion too that it was not expedient to yield too
much to Aunt Stanbury. "I would yield to her in anything that was
possible to me," said Dorothy. "I won't," said he; "and I don't think
I should do any good if I did. I like her, and I like her money. But
I don't like either well enough to sell myself for a price."

A great part too of the quarrelling which went on from day to day
between Brooke and Miss Stanbury was due to the difference of their
opinions respecting Dorothy and her suitor. "I believe you put her up
to it," said Aunt Stanbury.

"I neither put her up nor down, but I think that she was quite
right."

"You've robbed her of a husband, and she'll never have another
chance. After what you've done, you ought to take her yourself."

"I shall be ready to-morrow," said Brooke.

"How can you tell such a lie?" said Aunt Stanbury.

But after two or three days Brooke was gone to make a journey through
the distant part of the county, and see the beauties of Devonshire.
He was to be away for a fortnight, and then come back for a day or
two before he returned to London. During that fortnight things did
not go well with poor Dorothy at Exeter.

"I suppose you know your own business best," her aunt said to her
one morning. Dorothy uttered no word of reply. She felt it to be
equally impossible to suggest either that she did or that she did
not know her own business best. "There may be reasons which I don't
understand," exclaimed Aunt Stanbury; "but I should like to know what
it is you expect."

"Why should I expect anything, Aunt Stanbury?"

"That's nonsense. Everybody expects something. You expect to have
your dinner by-and-by,--don't you?"

"I suppose I shall," said Dorothy, to whom it occurred at the moment
that such expectation was justified by the fact that on every day of
her life hitherto s