romantic ideas, I am afraid. Your talk sounds
romantic. You won't find that sort of man."

"I don't care," said Dolly. "But if I don't, I'll never marry any other
sort."

"And that is a delusion too," said Mrs. Copley. "You will do just as
other girls do. Nobody marries her fancy. And besides, St. Leger thinks
he has got you; and I don't know but he and your father will manage it
so. He don't ask _my_ advice."

Now this was not quite true; for the subject of Mr. St. Leger had been
discussed more than once between Dolly's parents; though certainly Mrs.
Copley did see that matters were out of her hand and beyond her
guidance now. Dolly was glad to have the conversation turn to something
else; but the several subjects of it hardly left her head any more.

It is blessedly true, that at seventeen there is a powerful spring of
elasticity in the mind, and an inexhaustible treasury of hope; also it
is true that Mrs. Copley was not wrong in her estimate of Dolly when
she adjudged her to have plenty of "wit;" otherwise speaking, resources
and acuteness. That was all true; nevertheless, Dolly's
seventeen-year-old heart and head were greatly burdened with what they
had to carry just now. Experience gave her no help, and the
circumstances forbade her to depend upon the experience of her mother.
Mrs. Copley's nerves must not be excited. So Dolly carried her burden
alone, and found it very heavy; and debated her questions with herself,
and could find an answer to never a one of them. How should she give
her mother the rest and distraction of travelling? The doctor said, and
Dolly believed, that it would be the best thing for her. But she could
not even get speech of her father to consult over the matter with him
Mr. Copley was caught in embarrassments of his own, worse than nervous
ones. What could Dolly do, to break him off from his present habits,
those she knew and those she dimly feared? Then when, as was
inevitable, the image of Mr. St. Leger presented itself, as affording
the readiest solution of all these problems, Dolly bounded back. Not
_that_, of all possible outcomes of the present state of things. Dolly
would neither be bought nor sold; would not in that way even be her
parents' deliverer. She was sure she could not do that. What else could
she do?

She carried these questions about with her, out into the garden, and up
into her room; and many a hot tear she shed over them, when she could
be long enough away from he