me as an
upstart or intruder. I am sick of ambition. My only longing now is to
fly from society altogether, and go to any hovel on earth where I could
be at peace.'

'What--has anybody been insulting you?' said Mrs. Chickerel.

'Yes; or rather I sometimes think he may have: that is, if a proposal of
marriage is only removed from being a proposal of a very different kind
by an accident.'

'A proposal of marriage can never be an insult,' her mother returned.

'I think otherwise,' said Ethelberta.

'So do I,' said her father.

'Unless the man was beneath you, and I don't suppose he was that,' added
Mrs. Chickerel.

'You are quite right; he was not that. But we will not talk of this
branch of the subject. By far the most serious concern with me is that I
ought to do some good by marriage, or by heroic performance of some kind;
while going back to give the rudiments of education to remote hamleteers
will do none of you any good whatever.'

'Never you mind us,' said her father; 'mind yourself.'

'I shall hardly be minding myself either, in your opinion, by doing
that,' said Ethelberta dryly. 'But it will be more tolerable than what I
am doing now. Georgina, and Myrtle, and Emmeline, and Joey will not get
the education I intended for them; but that must go, I suppose.'

'How full of vagaries you are,' said her mother. 'Why won't it do to
continue as you are? No sooner have I learnt up your schemes, and got
enough used to 'em to see something in 'em, than you must needs bewilder
me again by starting some fresh one, so that my mind gets no rest at
all.'

Ethelberta too keenly felt the justice of this remark, querulous as it
was, to care to defend herself. It was hopeless to attempt to explain to
her mother that the oscillations of her mind might arise as naturally
from the perfection of its balance, like those of a logan-stone, as from
inherent lightness; and such an explanation, however comforting to its
subject, was little better than none to simple hearts who only could look
to tangible outcrops.

'Really, Ethelberta,' remonstrated her mother, 'this is very odd. Making
yourself miserable in trying to get a position on our account is one
thing, and not necessary; but I think it ridiculous to rush into the
other extreme, and go wilfully down in the scale. You may just as well
exercise your wits in trying to swim as in trying to sink.'

'Yes; that's what I think,' said her father. 'But of course Berta