I do!" with nearly as much
fervour as Edgar had said these words six weeks before.

The thing was settled then and there, for Joe felt well assured that his
amiable Susan would have no objection to such an arrangement.

Now, while this was going on in the bower, Mr Hazlit, observing that
his children were occupied with something important, sauntered down the
sea-shell road in the direction of his own cottage. Here he met Miss
Pritty.

The sight of her mild innocent face called up a thought. Dozens of
other thoughts immediately seized hold of the first thought, and
followed it. Mr Hazlit was sometimes, though not often, impulsive. He
took Miss Pritty's hand without saying a word, drew her arm within his
own, and led her into the cottage.

"Miss Pritty," he said, sitting down and pointing to a chair, "you have
always been very kind to my daughter."

"She has always been very kind--_very_ kind--to me," answered Miss
Pritty, with a slight look of surprise.

"True--there is no doubt whatever about that," returned Mr Hazlit, "but
just now I wish to refer to your kindness to her. You came,
unselfishly, at great personal inconvenience, to China, at my selfish
request, and for her sake you endured horrors in connection with the
sea, of which I had no conception until I witnessed your sufferings. I
am grateful for your self-sacrificing kindness, and am now about to take
a somewhat doubtful mode of showing my gratitude, namely, by asking you
to give up your residence in town, and come to be my housekeeper--my
companion and friend."

Mr Hazlit paused, and Miss Pritty, looking at him with her mild eyes
excessively wide open, gave no audible expression to her feelings or
sentiments, being, for the moment, bereft of the power of utterance.

"You see," continued Mr Hazlit, in a sad voice, looking slowly round
the snug parlour, "I shall be a very lonely man now that my darling has
left my roof. And you must not suppose, Miss Pritty, that I ask you to
make any engagement that would tie you, even for a year, to a life that
you might not relish. I only ask you to come and try it. If you find
that you prefer a life of solitude, unhampered in any way, you will only
have to say so at any time--a month, a week, after coming here--and I
will cheerfully, and without remonstrance, reinstate you in your old
home--or a similar one--exactly as I found you, even to your small
domestic, who may come here and be your private maid if y