d
pressed her to his bosom, and kissed her lips and forehead, and threw
back her hat, and put his fingers among her hair. "Why did you say
that the property would make a difference?" she asked, in a whisper.
To this he made no answer, but walked on silently, with his arm round
her waist, till they came out from among the trees, and stood upon
the bank of the river. "There are people in the boats. You must put
your arm down," she said.

"I wonder how you will like to be a farmer's wife?" he asked.

"I have not an idea."

"I fear so much that you'll find it rough and hard."

"But I have an idea about something." She took his hand, and looked
up into his face as she continued. "I have an idea that I shall like
to be your wife." He was in a seventh heaven of happiness, and would
have stood there gazing on the river with her all night, if she
would have allowed him. At last they walked back into the house
together,--and into the room where the others were assembled, with
very little outward show of embarrassment. Mary was the first to
enter the room, and though she blushed she smiled also, and every one
knew what had taken place. There was no secret or mystery, and in
five minutes her cousins were congratulating her. "It's all settled
for you now," said Clarissa laughing.

"Yes, it's all settled for me now, and I wouldn't have it unsettled
for all the world."

While this was being said in the drawing-room,--being said even in
the presence of poor Gregory, who could not but have felt how hard it
was for him to behold such bliss, Sir Thomas and Ralph had withdrawn
into the opposite room. Ralph began to apologise for his own
misfortunes,--his misfortune in having lost the inheritance, his
misfortune in being illegitimate; but Sir Thomas soon cut his
apologies short. "You think a great deal more of it than she does, or
than I do," said Sir Thomas.

"If she does not regard it, I will never think of it again," said
Ralph. "My greatest glory in what had been promised me was in
thinking that it might help to win her."

"You have won her without such help as that," said Sir Thomas, with
his arm on the young man's shoulder.

There was another delicious hour in store for him as they sat over
their late tea. "Do you still think of going to Norfolk to-morrow?"
she said to him, with that composure which in her was so beautiful,
and, at the same time, so expressive.

"By an early train in the morning."

"I thought that perh