ing her happy; to exalt her,
so as to have it acknowledged that she was, at any rate, as important
as Augusta; to learn something from her, so that he, too, might
become romantic, and in some degree poetical;--all this had come
home to him in a not ignoble manner. But it had not come home to him
that Ayala might probably refuse him. Hitherto Ayala had been very
persistent in her refusals; but then hitherto there had existed the
opposition of all the family. Now he had overcome that, and he felt
therefore that he was entitled to ask and to receive.

On the day fixed, and at the hour fixed, he came in the plenitude of
all his rings. Poor Tom! It was a pity that he should have had no
one to advise him as to his apparel. Ayala hated his jewelry. She
was not quite distinct in her mind as to the raiment which would be
worn by the angel of light when he should come, but she was sure
that he would not be chiefly conspicuous for heavy gilding; and Tom,
moreover, had a waistcoat which would of itself have been suicidal.
Such as he was, however, he was shown up into the drawing-room, where
he found Ayala alone. It was certainly a misfortune to him that no
preliminary conversation was possible. Ayala had been instructed
to be there with the express object of listening to an offer of
marriage. The work had to be done,--and should be done; but it would
not admit of other ordinary courtesies. She was very angry with
him, and she looked her anger. Why should she be subjected to this
terrible annoyance? He had sense enough to perceive that there was no
place for preliminary courtesy, and therefore rushed away at once to
the matter in hand. "Ayala!" he exclaimed, coming and standing before
her as she sat upon the sofa.

"Tom!" she said, looking boldly up into his face.

"Ayala, I love you better than anything else in the world."

"But what's the good of it?"

"Of course it was different when I told you so before. I meant to
stick to it, and I was determined that the governor should give way.
But you couldn't know that. Mother and the girls were all against
us."

"They weren't against me," said Ayala.

"They were against our being married, and so they squeezed you out
as it were. That is why you have been sent to this place. But they
understand me now, and know what I am about. They have all given
their consent, and the governor has promised to be liberal. When he
says a thing he'll do it. There will be lots of money."

"I don'