stances, and your guardian is very doubtful
as to the wisdom and expediency of it.'

'Does he think,' I said, the blood rushing to my cheeks with
indignation, 'that this will make any difference in my feeling towards
you? It will certainly in one way; it will make me ten times more
conscious of the honour it will be to become your wife. It will make
me realize more and more your unselfish devotion and goodness towards
the one who has marred and spoilt your life, and make me know what a
noble----'

'Hush! hush!' he said, half laughing, as he dropped my hands, and put
his arm round me, 'you may think me a hero to-night, but in the calm
light of to-morrow morning you may think differently. And yet I am so
confident of your love and trust that I have never doubted how you
would act. I would not let you sacrifice yourself, if I were sure in
my own heart that my health was seriously injured; but I do not think
it is. I believe the doctors are right when they say that time will
heal the mischief. I do not think we shall be called to give each
other up, if you are content to take me as I am.'

Much more we said to each other on that calm, still evening; and before
we came indoors we gave thanks together to our Heavenly Father for His
goodness in bringing us together again.

I was obliged to have an interview with my guardian the next morning.
He was very kind, but said he was doubtful whether, under the present
circumstances, I ought not to look at things with a different eye.
When he found, as I think he must have expected to find, my opinions on
the subject were totally unchanged, he ended up by saying, 'Of course I
have tried to act towards you as I should towards my own daughters. It
is a disappointment to me that you will not be as comfortably off with
Stanton as I had supposed you would be at first, and there is his state
of health that is a drawback; but still I cannot press you to break off
the engagement, having given my sanction to it. I only wish he had not
acted in the extraordinary quixotic way he has. Then all this trouble
might have been spared you both. For a man of his age and stamp, I
consider he has been most foolish, if not to say culpable, in the
manner he has treated that young scoundrel of a cousin!'

Two evenings after this we were in the drawing-room after dinner, when
Philip asked me if I would play to them.

There was silence amongst the others whilst I opened my violin case,
and then