mplaint; for I can't do with being bothered."
"Well," said I, "I know somebody that will suit you to a tee, if you
don't care for money, and that's Hargrave's sister, Milicent." He
desired to be introduced to her forthwith, for he said he had plenty of
the needful himself, or should have when his old governor chose to quit
the stage. So you see, Helen, I have managed pretty well, both for your
friend and mine.'

Poor Milicent! But I cannot imagine she will ever be led to accept such
a suitor--one so repugnant to all her ideas of a man to be honoured and
loved.

5th.--Alas! I was mistaken. I have got a long letter from her this
morning, telling me she is already engaged, and expects to be married
before the close of the month.

'I hardly know what to say about it,' she writes, 'or what to think. To
tell you the truth, Helen, I don't like the thoughts of it at all. If I
am to be Mr. Hattersley's wife, I must try to love him; and I do try with
all my might; but I have made very little progress yet; and the worst
symptom of the case is, that the further he is from me the better I like
him: he frightens me with his abrupt manners and strange hectoring ways,
and I dread the thoughts of marrying him. "Then why have you accepted
him?" you will ask; and I didn't know I had accepted him; but mamma tells
me I have, and he seems to think so too. I certainly didn't mean to do
so; but I did not like to give him a flat refusal, for fear mamma should
be grieved and angry (for I knew she wished me to marry him), and I
wanted to talk to her first about it: so I gave him what I thought was an
evasive, half negative answer; but she says it was as good as an
acceptance, and he would think me very capricious if I were to attempt to
draw back--and indeed I was so confused and frightened at the moment, I
can hardly tell what I said. And next time I saw him, he accosted me in
all confidence as his affianced bride, and immediately began to settle
matters with mamma. I had not courage to contradict them then, and how
can I do it now? I cannot; they would think me mad. Besides, mamma is
so delighted with the idea of the match; she thinks she has managed so
well for me; and I cannot bear to disappoint her. I do object sometimes,
and tell her what I feel, but you don't know how she talks. Mr.
Hattersley, you know, is the son of a rich banker, and as Esther and I
have no fortunes, and Walter very little, our dear mamma is very anxious