As Mrs. Poynsett said, she could expect nothing better of him. "It
is quite clear," she said, "that poor Lena is right, that Frank must
not set up housekeeping with him. Even if he were certain to be
proof against temptation, it would be as bad a connection as could
be. I never thought of his being with them; but I suppose there is
nothing else to be done with him."

"Frank ought not to be exposed to the trial. The old man has a
certain influence over him."

"Though I should have thought such a hoary old wreck was nothing but
a warning. It has been a most unhappy affair from first to last;
but Lena is a good, unselfish girl, and nothing else will give Frank
a chance of happiness. Waiting will do them no harm, they are young
enough, and have no great sum to marry upon, so if you can bring her
to me to-morrow, Julius, I will ask her to grant my poor boy leave
to wait till she can see her way to marrying."

Julius ventured to write down, 'Hope on!'

To this Frank replied with rather a fiery look, "Mind, I will not
have her persuaded or worked on. It must be all her own doing.
Yes," answering a look of his brother, "I see what you are about.
You want to tell her it is a superstition about her vow and not
using me fairly. So it may be in some points of view; but the fact
remains. She thought she might trust to my good sense and
principle, and it proved that she was wrong. After that it is not
right to force myself on her. I don't dare to do it, Julius. I
have not been shut up with myself all these weeks for nothing. I
know now how unworthy I ever was to think of her as mine. If I can
ever prove my repentance she might in time forgive me; but for her
to be driven to take me out of either supposed justice or mercy, I
will not stand! A wretched deaf being like me! It is not fitting,
and I _will_ not have it done!"

Julius wrote--"She is suffering greatly. She nearly fainted at
church, and I had to take her out."

Frank's face worked, and he put his hand over it as he said, "You
are all torturing her; I shall write a letter and settle it myself."

Frank did write the letter that very night, and when Julius next saw
Eleonora her eyes were swollen with weeping, and she said--

"Take me to him! I must comfort him!"

"You have heard from him?"

"Yes. Such a beautiful letter. But he must not think it _that_."

She did show the letter, reserved though she was. She was right
about it; Julius was stru