could resign her, Heaven
knows, grievous as the loss would be, to one whom she loved, and who
would ensure her happiness. But to give her up to Edward Forester--the
very thought is madness!"

"Surely, brother, she cannot know that he is so unworthy! surely,
surely, when she is convinced that he is so, she will throw him off like
an infected garment! I know Hannah well. She would be protected from
such an one as you describe, as well by pride as by purity. She cannot
be aware of these propensities."

"She has been told of them repeatedly; but he denies the accusation, and
she rather believes his denial than the assertion of her best friends.
Knowing Hannah as you do, Lucy, you cannot but remember the petulant
self-will, the scorn of contradiction and opposition, which used half to
vex and half to amuse us in the charming spoilt child. We little dreamt
how dangerous that fault, almost diverting in trifles, might become
in the serious business of life. Her mother and brother are my warm
advocates, and the determined opponents of my rival; and therefore, to
assert what she calls her independence and her disinterestedness, (for
with this sweet perverse creature the worldly prosperity which I valued
chiefly for her sake makes against me,) she will fling herself away on
one wholly unworthy of her, one whom she does not even love, and with
whom her whole life will be a scene of degradation and misery."

"Will he be to-night at the Foaming Tankard?"

"He is there every night!"

At this point of their conversation the brother was called away; and
Lucy, after a little consideration, tied on her bonnet, and walked to
Mrs. Colson's.

Her welcome from William Colson and his mother was as cordial and hearty
as ever, perhaps more so; Hannah's greetings were affectionate, but
constrained. Not to receive Lucy kindly was impossible; and yet her own
internal consciousness rendered poor Lucy, next perhaps to her brother,
the very last person whom she would have desired to see; and this
uncomfortable feeling increased to a painful degree, when the fond
sister, with some diminution of her customary gentleness, spoke to her
openly of her conduct to James, and repeated with strong and earnest
reprehension, all that she had heard of the conduct and pursuits of her
new admirer.

"He frequent the Foaming Tankard! He drink to intoxication! He play for
days and nights at Four Corners! It is a vile slander! I would, answer
for it with my li