successfully performed this great act of taming.
Such being the case, the man had perhaps better keep away till he is
forced to appear at the church-door.

Nevertheless our Colonel did enjoy his last walk. "Oh, yes," she
said, "of course we will go to the old wood. Where else? I am so glad
that poor fox went through Gobblegoose;--otherwise we should never
have gone there, and then who knows whether you and I would ever have
been friends again any more?"

"If one wood hadn't been there, I think another would have been
found."

"Ah, that's just it. You can know that you had a purpose, and perhaps
were determined to carry it out."

"Well, rather."

"But I couldn't be sure of that. I couldn't carry out my purpose,
even if I had one. I had to doubt, and to be unhappy, and to hate
myself, because I had been perverse. I declare, I do think you men
have so much the best of it. How glorious would it have been to be
able to walk straight up and say, Jonathan Stubbs, I love you better
than all the world. Will you be my husband?"

"But suppose the Jonathan Stubbs of the occasion were to decline the
honour. Where would you be then?"

"That would be disagreeable," said Ayala.

"It is disagreeable,--as you made me feel twice over."

"Oh, Jonathan, I am so sorry."

"Therefore it is possible that you may have the best of it."

* * * * * *

"And so you never will take another walk with Ayala Dormer?" she
said, as they were returning home.

"Never another," he replied.

"You cannot think how I regret it. Of course I am glad to become
your wife. I do not at all want to have it postponed. But there is
something so sweet in having a lover;--and you know that though I
shall have a husband I shall never have a lover again,--and I never
had one before, Jonathan. There has been very little of it. When a
thing has been so sweet it is sad to think that it must be gone for
ever!" Then she leaned upon him with both her hands, and looked up
at him and smiled, with her lips a little open,--as she knew that he
liked her to lean upon him and to look,--for she had caught by her
instinct the very nature of the man, and knew how to witch him with
her little charms. "Ah me! I wonder whether you'll like me to lean
upon you when a dozen years have gone by."

"That depends on how heavy you may be."

"I shall be a fat old woman, perhaps. But I shall lean upon
you,--always, always. What else shall I ever