tural result of the restraint
they had put upon a passionate affection: for what says the dramatist
Destouches, improving upon Horace, so that in England his immortal line
is given to Moliere. "_Chassez le naturel, il revient au galop_."

The next thing was, they held each other at arm's-length, and mourned
over each other.

"Oh, my poor Mary, how ill you look!"

"Oh, my poor Walter, how pale and worn!"

"It's all my fault," said Mary.

"No; it's all mine," said Walter.

And so they blamed themselves, and grieved over each other, and vowed
that come what might they would never part again. But, lo and behold!
Walter went on from that to say:

"And that we may never part again let us marry at once, and put our
happiness out of the reach of accidents."

"What!" said Mary. "Defy your father upon his dying bed."

"Oh no," said Walter, "that I could not do. I mean marry secretly, and
announce it after his decease, if I am to lose him."

"And why not wait till after his decease?" said Mary.

"Because, then, the laws of society would compel us to wait six months,
and in that six months some infernal obstacle or other would be sure to
occur, and another would be sure to follow. I am a great deal older than
you, and I see that whoever procrastinates happiness, risks it; and
whoever shilly-shallies with it deserves to lose it, and generally does."

Where young ladies are concerned, logic does not carry all before it,
and so Mary opposed all manner of feminine sentiments, and ended by
saying she could not do such a thing.

Then Walter began to be mortified and angry; then she cunningly shifted
the responsibility, and said she would consult Mrs. Easton.

"Then consult her in my presence," said Walter.

Mary had not bargained for that; she had intended to secure Mrs. Easton
on her side, and then take her opinion. However, as Walter's proposal was
fair, she called Mrs. Easton, and they put the case to her, and asked her
to give her candid opinion.

Mrs. Easton, however, took alarm at the gravity of the proposal, and told
them both she knew things that were unknown to both of them, and it was
not so easy for her to advise.

"Well, but," said Walter, "if you know more than we do, you are the very
person that can advise. All I know is that if we are not married now, I
shall have to wait six months at least, and if I stay here Mr. Bartley
and I shall quarrel, and he will refuse me Mary; and if I go abroad again
I shal