her home in the South of
England; she was almost necessary to her in her work at the present
juncture: no one could act as her Secretary so efficiently as Tabitha
could.

"Besides, to tell you a little secret," she added, with a charming air
of confidence and humour, "there is someone besides me that wants
Tabitha back: there is an excellent prospect for her, if she could only
turn her thoughts in that direction. You have heard of Horace Wetherell,
my second cousin--a rising barrister? Ah, well, a little bird has
whispered things to me. His prospects are now very different from what
they were when she was with me before, or I don't think she would ever
have come to you, to say the truth! We must not let her get involved in
anything doubtful. As you know, I have been acquainted with this John
Chambers and his family all my life. He is a good fellow enough, but
will never set the Thames on fire. She is exactly suited to my cousin,
who is a man of the highest and noblest character, and could not fail to
make her happy. It is only to take her away for a time, and I feel sure
all will be well. I knew, my dear friend, that a word to you was enough,
for Tabitha's sake: and so we will settle it between us."

I said little in reply, for I was suffering keenly. I felt as if this
fair, clever woman had struck a deliberate blow at my happiness, and in
a way to leave me resistless. I could not deny that it might be for
Tabitha's good to go away. Certainly John was poor, and in fact I had
thought lately that that might be the reason the engagement was delayed.
Tabitha was only twenty-two, and she might change her mind. I murmured
that I would leave it to Tabitha to decide; and as Aunt Rennie turned
away, I remember thinking that she was rather young to decide another
woman's destiny in such a matter. She was only six years older than
Tabitha.

* * * * *

Tabitha often says that she owes her present happiness to Aunt Rennie,
for if it had not been for the misery of the approaching separation,
John, oppressed by the sense of his poverty and humble prospects, would
never have had courage to tell her of his love. And I have sometimes
amused myself by reflecting how Aunt Rennie's shrewdness, intelligence
and determination, instead of working out her own ends, were all the
time furthering the thing that was most opposed to her wishes.

When, after those few days that followed--days for me of heart-break