art she
desired of recanting her error in regard to Luke Rowan's character.
She wished to give in her adhesion to the marriage,--to be known to
have acknowledged its fitness so that she could, with some true word
of sisterly love, wish her sister well. In Rachel's presence she
could not have first made this recantation. Though Rachel spoke no
triumph, there was a triumph in her eye, which prevented almost the
possibility of such yielding on the part of Dorothea. But when the
thing should have been once done, when she should once have owned
that Rachel was not wrong, then gradually she could bring herself
round to the utterance of some kindly expression.

"Pretty," she said; "yes, it is pretty. I do not know that anybody
ever doubted its prettiness."

"And isn't it nice too? Dear girl! It does make me so happy to see
her light-hearted again. She has had a sad time of it, Dorothea,
since we made her write that letter to him; a very sad time of it."

"People here, mother, do mostly have what you call a sad time of it.
Are we not taught that it is better for us that it should be so? Have
not you and I, mother, had a sad time of it? It would be all sad
enough if this were to be the end of it."

"Yes, just so; of course we know that. But it can't be wrong that she
should be happy now, when things are so bright all around her. You
wouldn't have thought it better for her, or for him either, that they
should be kept apart, seeing that they really love each other?"

"No; I don't say that. If they love one another of course it is right
that they should marry. I only wish we had known him longer."

"I am not sure that these things always go much better because young
people have known each other all their lives. It seems to be certain
that he is an industrious, steady young man. Everybody seems to speak
well of him now."

"Well, mother, I have nothing to say against him,--not a word. And
if it will give Rachel any pleasure,--though I don't suppose it will,
the least in the world; but if it would, she may know that I think
she has done wisely to accept him."

"Indeed it will; the greatest pleasure."

"And I hope they will be happy together for very many years. I love
Rachel dearly, though I fear she does not think so, and anything I
have said, I have said in love, not in anger."

"I'm sure of that, Dorothea."

"Now that she is to be settled in life as a married woman, of course
she must not look for counsel either to yo