ad once made it in our favor."

"I have no fancy for the compact, read it how you may," said Charles,
impatiently; "nor can I say which I like least,--the notion of marrying
a woman who is bound to accept me, or accepting a forfeit to release her
from the obligation."

"I own it is--embarrassing," said Sir William, after a moment's
hesitation in choosing a suitable word.

"A downright indignity, I'd call it," said the other, warmly, "and
calculated to make the man odious in the woman's eyes, whichever lot
befell him."

"The wardship must be accepted, at all events," said Sir William,
curtly, as he arose and folded up the letter.

"You are the best judge of that; for if it depended upon _me_"

"Come, come, Charley," said Sir William, in his tone of habitual
kindness, "this life of quiet obscurity and poverty that we lead here
has no terrors for _me_. I have been so long away from England that if I
went back to-morrow I should look in vain for any of my old companions.
I have forgotten the habits and the ways of home, and I have learned to
submit myself to twenty things here which would be hardships elsewhere,
but I don't like to contemplate the same sort of existence for _you_; I
want to speculate on a very different future; and if--if--Nay, you need
not feel so impatient at a mere conjecture."

"Well, to another point," said the young man, hastily. "We have got,
as you have just said, to know that we can live very comfortably and
contentedly here, looking after our celery and seakale, and watching our
silver groschen; are you so very certain that you 'd like to change all
this life, and launch out into an expensive style of living, to suit the
notions of a rich heiress, and, what is worse again, to draw upon _her_
resources to do it?"

"I won't deny that it will cost me severely; but, until we see her
and know her, Charley, until we find out whether she may be one whose
qualities will make our sacrifices easy--"

"Would you accept this charge if she were perfectly portionless, and
without a shilling in the world?"

"If she were Tom Leslie's daughter, do you mean?"

"Ay, any one's daughter?"

"To be sure I would, boy; and if I were only to consult my own feelings
in the matter, I 'd say that I 'd prefer this alternative to the other."

"Then I have no more to say," said the son, as he walked away.

Within a month after this conversation, the little cottage was shut
up, the garden wicket closed with a hea