mind again." Alice found that this was hard
to bear and hard to answer; but there was a certain amount of truth
in the grievous reproach conveyed in her father's words, which
made her bow her neck to it. "I have no right to say that it is
impossible," she replied, in words that were barely audible.

"No;--exactly so," said her father. "And therefore it will be better
that you should postpone any such communication."

"For how long do you mean?"

"Till you and I shall have agreed together that he should be told."

"No, papa; I will not consent to that. I consider myself bound to let
him know the truth without delay. I have done him a great injury, and
I must put an end to that as soon as possible."

"You have done him an injury certainly, my dear;--a very great
injury," said Mr Vavasor, going away from his object about the
proposed letter; "and I believe he will feel it as such to the last
day of his life, if this goes on."

"I hope not. I believe that it will not be so. I feel sure that it
will not be so."

"But of course what I am thinking of now is your welfare,--not his.
When you simply told me that you intended to--." Alice winced,
for she feared to hear from her father that odious word which her
grandfather had used to her; and indeed the word had been on her
father's lips, but he had refrained and spared her--"that you
intended to break your engagement with Mr Grey," he continued, "I
said little or nothing to you. I would not ask you to marry any man,
even though you had yourself promised to marry him. But when you
tell me that you are engaged to your cousin George, the matter is
very different. I do not think well of your cousin. Indeed I think
anything but well of him. It is my duty to tell you that the world
speaks very ill of him." He paused, but Alice remained silent. "When
you were about to travel with him," he continued, "I ought perhaps to
have told you the same. But I did not wish to pain you or his sister;
and, moreover, I have heard worse of him since then,--much worse than
I had heard before."

"As you did not tell me before, I think you might spare me now," said
Alice.

"No, my dear; I cannot allow you to sacrifice yourself without
telling you that you are doing so. If it were not for your money he
would never think of marrying you."

"Of that I am well aware," said Alice. "He has told me so himself
very plainly."

"And yet you will marry him?"

"Certainly I will. It seems to me, papa