ll that abominable," said Frank, alluding of course to the
allusions made in the letter to Mudbury Docimer.

"It is a beautiful letter;--just what I should have expected from
Imogene. My dear, I will tell you what I propose. Remain as you are
both of you for five years."

"Five years. That's sheer nonsense."

"Five years, my dear, will run by like a dream. Five years to look
back upon is as nothing."

"But these five years are five years to be looked forward to. It is
out of the question."

"But you say that you could not live as a married man."

"Live! I suppose we could live." Then he thought of the cabbages and
the cottage at Pau. "There would be seven hundred a-year I suppose."

"Couldn't you do something, Frank?"

"What, to earn money? No; I don't think I could. If I attempted to
break stones I shouldn't break enough to pay for the hammers."

"Couldn't you write a book?"

"That would be worse than the stones. I sometimes thought I could
paint a picture,--but, if I did, nobody would buy it. As to making
money that is hopeless. I could save some, by leaving off gloves and
allowing myself only three clean shirts a-week."

"That would be dreadful, Frank."

"It would be dreadful, but it is quite clear that I must do
something. An effort has to be made." This he said with a voice the
tone of which was almost heroic. Then they discussed the matter at
great length, in doing which Aunt Rosina thoroughly encouraged him
in his heroism. That idea of remaining unmarried for another short
period of five years was allowed to go by the board, and when they
parted on that night it was understood that steps were to be taken to
bring about a marriage as speedily as possible.

"Perhaps I can do a little to help," said Aunt Rosina, in a faint
whisper as Frank left the room.

Frank Houston, when he showed Imogene's letter to his aunt, had
already answered it. Then he waited a day or two, not very patiently,
for a further rejoinder from Imogene,--in which she of course was
to unsay all that she had said before. But when, after four or five
days, no rejoinder had come, and his fervour had been increased by
his expectation, then he told his aunt that he should immediately
take some serious step. The more ardent he was the better his aunt
loved him. Could he have gone down and carried off his bride, and
married her at once, in total disregard of the usual wedding-cake and
St.-George's-Hanover-Square ceremonies to which the