hall not raise him in the estimation of my readers by
saying so. But then my readers will judge him unfairly. They will
forget that they have had a much better opportunity of looking into
the character of Miss Furnival than he had had; and they will also
forget that they have had no such opportunity of being influenced by
her personal charms. I think I remarked before that Miss Furnival
well understood how best to fight her own battle. Had she shown
herself from the first anxious to regard as a definite offer the
first words tending that way which Augustus had spoken to her,
he would at once have become indifferent about the matter. As a
consequence of her judicious conduct he was not indifferent. We
always want that which we can't get easily. Sophia had made herself
difficult to be gotten, and therefore Augustus fancied that he wanted
her. Since he had been in town he had been frequently in Harley
Street, and had been arguing with himself on the matter. What match
could be more discreet or better? Not only was she very handsome, but
she was clever also. And not only was she handsome and clever, but
moreover she was an heiress. What more could his friends want for
him, and what more could he want for himself? His mother did in truth
regard her as a nasty, sly girl; but then his mother did not know
Sophia, and in such matters mothers are so ignorant!

Miss Furnival, on his thus repeating his offer, again chose to affect
a belief that he was not in earnest. I am inclined to think that she
rather liked this kind of thing. There is an excitement in the game;
and it is one which may be played without great danger to either
party if it be played cautiously and with some skill. As regards
Augustus at the present moment, I have to say--with some regret--that
he abandoned all idea of caution, and that he showed very little
skill.

"Then," said he, "I must beg you to lay aside an affectation which is
so very injurious both to my honour and to my hopes of happiness."

"Your honour, Mr. Staveley, is quite safe, I am certain."

"I wish that my happiness were equally so," said he. "But at any rate
you will let me have an answer. Sophia--"

And now he stood up, looking at her with something really like love
in his eyes, and Miss Furnival began to understand that if she so
chose it the prize was really within her reach. But then was it a
prize? Was not the other thing the better prize? The other thing was
the better prize;--if on