of myself, and with the most
perfect confidence in you. You tell me that you cannot marry me."

"Not quite at present."

"Very well; I have been satisfied to remain as engaged to you; but I
am not satisfied to be subject to your interference."

"Interference!" he said.

"Well now; I'm going." This came from Mr. O'Mahony. "I've got to see
if I can earn a few shillings, and tell a few truths. I will leave
you to fight out your battles among you."

"There will be no battles," said Frank.

"I hope not, but I feel that I can do no good. I have such absolute
trust in Rachel, that you may be quite sure that I shall back her up
in whatever she says. Now, good-night," and with that he took his
leave.

"I am glad he has gone, because he would do us no good," said Rachel.
"You were angry with me just now because I spoke of interference. I
meant it. I will not admit of any interference from you." Then she
sat with her two hands on her knees, looking him full in the face.
"I love you with all my heart, and am ready to tell everyone that
I am to become your wife. They have a joke about it in the theatre
calling me Mrs. Jones; and because nobody believes what anybody says
they think you're a myth. I suppose it is queer that a singing girl
should marry Mr. Jones. I'm to go in the autumn to Covent Garden,
and get ever so much more money, and I shall still talk about Mr.
Jones,--unless you and I agree to break it off."

"Certainly not that," said he.

"But it is by no means certain. Will you go back to Ireland to-morrow
morning, and undertake not to see me again, until you come prepared
to marry me? If not we must break it off."

"I can hardly do that"

"Then," said she, rising from her chair, "it is broken off, and I
will not call myself Mrs. Jones any more." He too rose from his
chair, and frowned at her by way of an answer. "I have one other
suggestion to make," she said. "I shall receive next October what
will be quite sufficient for both of us, and for father too. Come and
bear the rough and the smooth together with us."

"And live upon you?"

"I should live upon you without scruple if you had got it. And then
I shall bear your interference without a word of complaint. Nay, I
shall thank you for it. I shall come to you for advice in everything.
What you say will be my law. You shall knock down all the Mosses for
me;--or lock them up, which would be so much better. But you must be
my husband."

"Not yet. You shoul