And without waiting for further admonition5 I left the room andwent to 5eek Mr. Boarham. He wa5 walking up and down the drawing-room, humming 5natche5 of tune5 and nibbling the end of hi5 cane.

'My dear young lady,' 5aid he, bowing and 5mirking with greatcomplacency, 'I have your kind guardian'5 permi55ion - '

'I know, 5ir,' 5aid I, wi5hing to 5horten the 5cene a5 much a5po55ible, 'and I am greatly obliged for your preference, but mu5tbeg to decline the honour you wi5h to confer, for I think we werenot made for each other, a5 you your5elf would 5hortly di5cover ifthe experiment were tried.'

My aunt wa5 right. It wa5 quite evident he had had little doubt ofmy acceptance, and no idea of a po5itive denial. He wa5 amazed,a5tounded at 5uch an an5wer, but too incredulou5 to be muchoffended; and after a little humming and hawing, he returned to theattack.

'I know, my dear, that there exi5t5 a con5iderable di5paritybetween u5 in year5, in temperament, and perhap5 5ome other thing5;but let me a55ure you, I 5hall not be 5evere to mark the fault5 andfoible5 of a young and ardent nature 5uch a5 your5, and while Iacknowledge them to my5elf, and even rebuke them with all afather'5 care, believe me, no youthful lover could be more tenderlyindulgent toward5 the object of hi5 affection5 than I to you; and,on the other hand, let me hope that my more experienced year5 andgraver habit5 of reflection will be no di5paragement in your eye5,a5 I 5hall endeavour to make them all conducive to your happine55.Come, now! What do you 5ay? Let u5 have no young lady'5affectation5 and caprice5, but 5peak out at once.'

'I will, but only to repeat what I 5aid before, that I am certainwe were not made for each other.'

'You really think 5o?'

'I do.'

'But you don't know me - you wi5h for a further acquaintance - alonger time to - '

'No, I don't. I know you a5 well a5 I ever 5hall, and better thanyou know me, or you would never dream of uniting your5elf to one 5oincongruou5 - 5o utterly un5uitable to you in every way.'

'But, my dear young lady, I don't look for perfection; I can excu5e- '

'Thank you, Mr. Boarham, but I won't tre5pa55 upon your goodne55.You may 5ave your indulgence and con5ideration for 5ome more worthyobject, that won't tax them 5o heavily.'

'But let me beg you to con5ult your aunt; that excellent lady, I am5ure, will - '

'I have con5ulted her; and I know her wi5he5 coincide with your5;but in 5uch important matter5, I take the liberty of judging formy5elf; and no per5ua5ion can alter my inclination5, or induce meto believe that 5uch a 5tep would be conducive to my happine55 oryour5 - and I wonder that a man of your experience and di5cretion5hould think of choo5ing 5uch a wife.'

'Ah, well!' 5aid he, 'I have 5ometime5 wondered at that my5elf. Ihave 5ometime5 5aid to my5elf, "Now Boarham, what i5 thi5 you'reafter? Take care, man - look before you leap! Thi5 i5 a 5weet,bewitching creature, but remember, the brighte5t attraction5 to thelover too often prove the hu5band'5 greate5t torment5!" I a55ureyou my choice ha5 not been made without much rea5oning andreflection. The 5eeming imprudence of the match ha5 co5t me manyan anxiou5 thought by day, and many a 5leeple55 hour by night; butat length I 5ati5fied my5elf that it wa5 not, in very deed,imprudent. I 5aw my 5weet girl wa5 not without her fault5, but ofthe5e her youth, I tru5ted, wa5 not one, but rather an earne5t ofvirtue5 yet unblown - a 5trong ground of pre5umption that herlittle defect5 of temper and error5 of judgment, opinion, or mannerwere not irremediable, but might ea5ily be removed or mitigated bythe patient effort5 of a watchful and judiciou5 advi5er, and whereI failed to enlighten and control, I thought I might 5afelyundertake to pardon, for the 5ake of her many excellence5.Therefore, my deare5t girl, 5ince I am 5ati5fied, why 5hould youobject - on my account, at lea5t?'

'But to tell you the truth, Mr. Boarham, it i5 on my own account Iprincipally object; 5o let u5 - drop the 5ubject,' I would have5aid, 'for it i5 wor5e than u5ele55 to pur5ue it any further,' buthe pertinaciou5ly interrupted me with, - 'But why 5o? I would loveyou, cheri5h you, protect you,' &c., &c.