ept a plan so cruel to her when the
proposition came from herself. It must all soon be done now. She had
asked that a distant day might be fixed for their marriage. Even
that request, coming from her, made it almost imperative upon him
to insist upon an early day. It would be well for him to look upon
to-morrow, or a few morrows whose short distance would be immaterial
as the time fixed.

No;--there should be no going back now! So he declared to himself,
endeavouring to prepare the suit of armour for his own wearing. Pau
might be the best place,--or perhaps one of those little towns in
Brittany. Dresden would not do, because there would be society at
Dresden, and he must of course give up all ideas of society. He
would have liked Rome; but Rome would be far too expensive, and then
residents in Rome require to be absent three or four months every
year. He and his wife and large family,--he had no doubt in life
as to the large family,--would not be able to allow themselves any
recreation such as that. He thought he had heard that the ordinary
comforts of life were cheap in the west of Ireland,--or, if not
cheap, unobtainable, which would be the same thing. Perhaps Castlebar
might be a good locality for his nursery. There would be nothing to
do at Castlebar,--no amusement whatever for such a one as himself,
no fitting companion for Imogene. But then amusement for himself
and companions for Imogene must of course be out of the question.
He thought that perhaps he might turn his hand to a little useful
gardening,--parsnips instead of roses,--while Imogene would be at
work in the nursery. He would begin at once and buy two or three
dozen pipes, because tobacco would be so much cheaper than cigars. He
knew a shop at which were to be had some very pretty new-fashioned
meerschaums, which, he had been told, smokers of pipes found to
be excellent. But, whether it should be Pau or whether it should
be Castlebar, whether it should be pipes or whether, in regard to
economy, no tobacco at all, the question now was at any rate settled
for him. He felt rather proud of his gallantry, as he took himself
home to bed, declaring to himself that he would answer that last
letter from Gertrude in a very few words and in a very decided tone.

There would be many little troubles. On the Monday morning he got
up early thinking that as a family man such a practice would be
necessary for him. When he had disturbed the house and nearly
driven his