ed him to look upon her as an easy
conquest. He had been perhaps a little ashamed of himself for being
in love with Dorothy, and had almost believed the Frenches when they
had spoken of her as a poor creature, a dependant, one born to be
snubbed,--as a young woman almost without an identity of her own.
When, therefore, she so pertinaciously refused him, he could not but
be angry. And it was natural that he should be surprised. Though he
was to have received a fortune with Dorothy, the money was not hers.
It was to be hers,--or rather theirs,--only if she would accept him.
Mr. Gibson thoroughly understood this point. He knew that Dorothy had
nothing of her own. The proposal made to her was as rich as though
he had sought her down at Nuncombe Putney, with his preferment, plus
the L2,000, in his own pocket. And his other advantages were not
hidden from his own eyes. He was a clergyman, well thought of, not
bad-looking certainly, considerably under forty,--a man, indeed, who
ought to have been, in the eyes of Dorothy, such an Orlando as she
would have most desired. He could not therefore but wonder. And then
came the doubt. Could it be possible that all those refusals were
simply the early pulses of hesitating compliance produced by maidenly
reserve? Mr. Gibson's friend had expressed a strong opinion that
almost any young woman would accept any young man if he put his
"com 'ether" upon her strong enough. For Mr. Gibson's friend was an
Irishman. As to Dorothy the friend had not a doubt in the world. Mr.
Gibson, as he stood alone in the room after Dorothy's departure,
could not share his friend's certainty; but he thought it just
possible that the pulsations of maidenly reserve were yet at work. As
he was revolving these points in his mind, Miss Stanbury entered the
room.

"It's all over now," she said.

"As how, Miss Stanbury?"

"As how! She's given you an answer; hasn't she?"

"Yes, Miss Stanbury, she has given me an answer. But it has occurred
to me that young ladies are sometimes,--perhaps a little--"

"She means it, Mr. Gibson; you may take my word for that. She is
quite in earnest. She can take the bit between her teeth as well as
another, though she does look so mild and gentle. She's a Stanbury
all over."

"And must this be the last of it, Miss Stanbury?"

"Upon my word, I don't know what else you can do,--unless you send
the Dean and Chapter to talk her over. She's a pig-headed, foolish
young woman;--but I