of the place? It's a pity, but that's what she'll have to go
through."

"Is he so light as that?" asked Aunt Sarah, shocked.

"He's about the same as other men, I take it; and she'll be the same
as other girls. They like to have their bit of fun now, and there'd
be no great harm,--only such fun costs the lady so plaguy dear. As
for their being married, I don't think Walter will ever be such a
fool as that."

There was something in this that was quite terrible to Aunt Sarah.
Her Mary Lowther was to be treated in this way;--to be played with
as a plaything, and then to be turned off when the time for playing
came to an end! And this little game was to be played for Walter
Marrable's delectation, though the result of it would be the ruin of
Mary's prospects in life!

"I think," said she, "that if I believed him to be so base as that, I
would send him out of the house."

"He does not mean to be base at all. He's just like the rest of 'em,"
said Parson John.

Aunt Sarah used every argument in her power to show that something
should be done; but all to no purpose. She thought that if Sir
Gregory were brought to interfere, that perhaps might have an effect;
but the old clergyman laughed at this. What did Captain Walter
Marrable, who had been in the army all his life, and who had no
special favour to expect from his uncle, care about Sir Gregory? Head
of the family, indeed! What was the head of the family to him? If
a girl would be a fool, the girl must take the result of her folly.
That was Parson John's doctrine,--that and a confirmed assurance
that this engagement, such as it was, would lead to nothing. He was
really very sorry for Mary, in whose praise he said ever so many
good-natured things; but she had not been the first fool, and she
would not be the last. It was not his business, and he could do no
good by interfering. At last, however, he did promise that he would
himself speak to Walter. Nothing would come of it, but, as his cousin
asked him, he would speak to his nephew.

He waited for four-and-twenty hours before he spoke, and during that
time was subject to none of those terrors which were now making Miss
Marrable's life a burden to her. In his opinion it was almost a
pity that a young fellow like Walter should be interrupted in his
amusement. According to his view of life, very much wisdom was not
expected from ladies, young or old. They, for the most part, had
their bread found for them; and were not