t to go if I did not give him up."

"You ought to give him up."

"I cannot do that, aunt."

"Then you had better hold your tongue and say nothing further about
it. I don't believe he earns enough to give you bread to eat and
decent clothes to wear. What would you do if children were to come
year after year? If you really love him I wonder how you can think of
being such a millstone round a man's neck!"

This was very hard to bear. It was so different from the delicious
comfort of his letter. "I do not for a moment believe that we should
want." "I have never for one moment doubted my own ultimate success."
But after all was there not more of truth in her aunt's words, hard
and cruel as they were? And on these words, such as they were, she
must found her answer to her lover; for he had bade her ask her
aunt what she was to do as to staying or preparing herself for an
immediate marriage. Then, before the afternoon was over, she wrote to
Hamel as follows;--

DEAR ISADORE,

I have got ever so much to say, but I shall begin by doing
as you told me in your postscript. I won't quite scold
you, but I do think you might have been a little gentler
with poor Uncle Tom. I do not say this because I at all
regret anything which perhaps he might have done for us.
If you do not want assistance from him certainly I do
not. But I do think that he meant to be kind; and, though
he may not be quite what you call a gentleman of fine
feeling, yet he has taken me into his house when I had no
other to go to, and in many respects has been generous to
me. When he said that you were to go to him in Lombard
Street, I am sure that he meant to be generous. And,
though it has not ended well, yet he meant to be kind to
both of us.

There is what you will call my scolding; though, indeed,
dearest, I do not intend to scold at all. Nor am I in the
least disappointed except in regard to you. This morning
I have been to Aunt Emmeline, as you desired, and I must
say that she was very cross. Of course I know that it is
because she is my own aunt that Uncle Tom has me here at
all; and I feel that I ought to be very grateful to her.
But, in spite of all that you say, laughing at Uncle Tom
because he wants you to sell your grand work by auction,
he is much more good-natured than Aunt Emmeline. I am
quite sure my aunt never liked me, and that she will
not be comfortable