s into an abrupt betrayal of native rudeness.

"I am going to learn a trade and work at it, and have a shop, when I can
manage one."

"Good heavens, Lucy, you are mad! What has put such an insane idea into
your head?"

"Thought, thought--constant, harassing, anxious thought. As a teacher or
governess I could do little more than support myself; and I know I have
taste and enterprise, and George will assist me, and I feel I shall
succeed."

"Never to be my wife afterwards!"

"James!" and she started to her feet, the hot blood mounting to her
face. She could not believe she had heard aright, and came back to him,
laying her hand upon his arm and looking beseechingly into his face. He
was angry now. Pride, and more than pride, vanity, were aroused. What!
his wife to have been behind a counter!--to hear it said, in after
years, "O yes! Mrs. Allan was a shop girl!" It was not that his treasure
would be exposed to rude and unfeeling association; it was not that he
would shield her from toil! He shook her from him--

"As true as I am speaking, if you persist in this, I will never marry
you!"

"_You never shall!_"

She turned quietly, but firmly, and went towards the door. There were no
tears, no expostulations. It was not her nature. Neither was that deep
emphatic tone the voice of passion. But a mask had dropped from the real
character of one she had almost reverenced, who had been invested by the
halo of her love with every high and noble quality.

"Lucy!"

No answer; and then the woman triumphed, and she turned her face so that
he could see how deadly pale she was, as she said, not raising her
eyes--

"God bless you, James, for the happiness of the past!"

He knew that he was forgiven; but he also felt that, outwardly, there
could be no reconciliation. In an instant, all her goodness and purity
came into his mind. He felt all that he had lost when too late to regain
it. But he stifled remorse and regret by pride and fancied injury, as he
left the house never to return again.

There followed a wretched, stormy interview with her uncle, whose anger
knew no bounds when Lucy told him that her engagement with James Allan
was broken, and for what reason. She was called "idiot" and
"ungrateful," her scheme was ridiculed and discouraged, until Mrs.
Burton even began to take her brother's view of the case, and think that
her daughter had acted inexcusably when, with a little forbearance, she
could have retained the