ving my answer. You should think your husband the
very best person you ever saw."

"Perhaps when he is your husband you may, but I fancy that a girl who
has a good father and brothers, does not at once give a man this
preference when he asks for her hand. As I said before, he is not
faultless, but would not life with him be preferable to life as it is
for you now?"

"Don't, Jane; don't side with my cowardly self. To marry him, not
loving him, as he perhaps deserves to be loved--not honouring him as I
know I should honour my husband--but merely because I am miserable--how
cruel to him, how base in myself! I know, besides, that he only pities
me. Oh! Jane, if it were only life with you I could bear it better, but
I am so weary of that workroom at Mrs. Dunn's, and of seeing people
there whom I used to know, and getting a pitying sort of recognition
from them. The very girls in the workroom pity me, and Peggy pities me,
and even the children and their grandfather pity me. Oh! Jane, Jane, I
am tired, tired to death of all this pity. Nobody ever thought of
pitying you in your hardest times; you could hold up your head, and
mine seems as if I never could raise it more. It must have been only
pity in Mr. Brandon's case--what did he know of me to make him love me?"

"Have you forgotten that you are a very sweet, charming girl,
Elsie--that your eyes are both bright and true--that your voice is
pleasant, both in itself, and for the very pleasant things you can say?
My darling, you must not lose all pride in yourself in this way. I wish
half the offers of marriage that are made were founded on as much
respect as Mr. Brandon felt for you. Though he talked slightingly of
your work at Mrs. Dunn's, do not fancy but that he honours you for
doing it. Besides, though he is not very literary, he may admire your
talents. He meant to please you by speaking about your poems."

"If he thinks I could be brilliant in society, or do him any credit in
that way, he would be sure to be disappointed, and what a terrible
thing it must be to disappoint a husband! It is not so much his
deficiencies as my own, that weigh upon me. And, besides, Jane, I am
not well; I really think I am going into a consumption--the sooner the
better, if it were not for you, my dearest--and to marry any one with
such a conviction, would be positively wicked."

"Oh, you are not going into a consumption, Elsie, I hope and believe,"
said Jane, as cheerfully as she could.