nfidence in us," said Edward.

"I have not much in arbitrary matters," Charlotte answered. "Where it is
a case of inclination, we women know better how to control ourselves
than you."

It was settled; the dispositions were made, and the work was begun at
once.

The Captain being always on the spot, Charlotte was almost daily a
witness to the strength and clearness of his understanding. He, too,
learnt to know her better; and it became easy for them both to work
together, and thus bring something to completeness. It is with work as
with dancing; persons who keep the same step must grow indispensable to
one another. Out of this a mutual kindly feeling will necessarily arise;
and that Charlotte had a real kind feeling toward the Captain, after she
came to know him better, was sufficiently proved by her allowing him to
destroy her pretty seat, which in her first plans she had taken such
pains in ornamenting, because it was in the lay of his own, without
experiencing the slightest feeling about the matter.

CHAPTER VII

Now that Charlotte was occupied with the Captain, it was a natural
consequence that Edward should attach himself more to Ottilie.
Independently of this, indeed, for some time past he had begun to feel a
silent kind of attraction toward her. Obliging and attentive she was to
every one, but his self-love whispered that toward him she was
particularly so. She had observed his little fancies about his food. She
knew exactly what things he liked, and the way in which he liked them to
be prepared; the quantity of sugar which he liked in his tea; and so on.
Moreover, she was particularly careful to prevent draughts, about which
he was excessively sensitive, and, indeed, about which, with his wife,
who could never have air enough, he was often at variance. So, too, she
had come to know about fruit-gardens and flower-gardens; whatever he
liked, it was her constant effort to procure for him, and to keep away
whatever annoyed him; so that very soon she grew indispensable to
him--she became like his guardian angel, and he felt it keenly whenever
she was absent. Besides all this, too, she appeared to grow more open
and conversible as soon as they were alone together.

Edward, as he advanced in life, had retained something childish about
himself, which corresponded singularly well with the youthfulness of
Ottilie. They liked talking of early times, when they had first seen
each other; and these reminiscences