"
"But he is quite certain now that you mean to take him. Of course
we were all certain when you only wanted a few more days to think
of it." Mary felt this to be the cruellest thing of all. "When he
asked me I said I wouldn't pledge you, but I certainly had no
doubt. What is the matter, Mary?"
She could understand that a girl might be asked why she wanted to
marry a man, and that in such a condition she ought to be able to
give a reason; but it was she thought very hard that she should be
asked why she didn't want to marry a man. "I suppose, papa," she
said after a pause, "I don't like him in that way."
"Your mamma will be sure to say that it is because you went to Lady
Ushant's."
And so in part it was,--as Mary herself very well knew; though Lady
Ushant herself had had nothing to do with it. "Lady Ushant," she
said, "would be very well pleased,--if she thought that I liked him
well enough."
"Did you tell Lady Ushant?"
"Yes; I told her all about it,--and how you would all be pleased.
And I did try to bring myself to it. Papa,--pray, pray don't want
to send me away from you."
"You would be so near to us all at Chowton Farm!"
"I am nearer here, papa." Then she embraced him, and he in a manner
yielded to her. He yielded to her so far as to part with her at the
present moment with soft loving words.
Pages:
316
317
318
319
320
321
322
323
324
325
326
327
328
329
330
331
332
333
334
335
336
337
338
339
340