"

"Suppose--I am just supposing,--suppose he has money, and they haven't.
Suppose, for instance, they are in difficulties, and by her sacrificing
herself she can put them out of difficulty? Such a case might be, you
know."

"Often has been; or at least people have thought so. But, Miss Dolly,
where is a young lady's first duty?"

"To God, of course; her first duty."

"And next after God?"

"To her parents, I suppose."

"And besides her parents?"

"I don't know; nobody, I think."

"Let us see. She owes something to herself."

"Does she?"

"And do you not think she owes something to the other party concerned?
don't you think she owes something to the gentleman she is to marry?"

"Yes, of course," said Dolly slowly. "I do not know exactly what,
though; nor exactly what she owes to herself."

"Before taking any course of action, in a matter that is very
important, shouldn't she look all round the subject? and see what will
become of all these duties?"

"Certainly. But the first comes first."

"The first comes first. How does the first look to you?"

"The first is her duty to God."

"Well. What does her duty to God say?"

"I don't know," said Dolly very gravely. "I am all in a puzzle.
Something in me says one thing, and something else in me cries out
against it. Mrs. Jersey, the Bible says, 'Honour thy father and thy
mother.'"

"Yes, and it says, 'Children, obey your parents.' But the next words
that come after, are--'_in the Lord_.'"

"How is that?"

"So as you can without failing in your duty to Him."

"Can duties clash?"

"No," said the housekeeper, smiling; "for, as you said, 'the first
comes first.'"

"I do not understand," said Dolly. "It is my duty to obey His word; and
His word says, obey them."

"Only not when their command or wish goes against His."

"Well, how would this?" said Dolly. "Suppose they wish me to marry
somebody, and my doing so would be very good for them? The Bible says,
'Love seeks not her own.'"

"Most true," said the housekeeper, watching the tears that suddenly
stood in Dolly's bright eyes. "But it says some other things."

"What, Mrs. Jersey? Do make it clear to me if you can. I am all in a
muddle."

"My dear, I am not a very good hand to explain what I mean. But do you
not think you owe it both to yourself and to God, not to do what would
blast your life? you cannot serve Him so well with a blasted life."

"It seems to me," said Dolly, speaking slowly,