WhatareallynicegirlmighthavedonewithhimIcannottell，butfatehadthrownnonesuchinhiswayexcepthisyoungestsisterAlethea，whomhemightperhapshavelikedifshehadnotbeenhissister。Theresultofhisexperiencewasthatwomenhadneverdonehimanygoodandhewasnotaccustomedtoassociatethemwithanypleasure；iftherewasapartofHamletinconnectionwiththemithadbeensocompletelycutoutintheeditionoftheplayinwhichhewasrequiredtoactthathehadcometodisbelieveinitsexistence。Asforkissing，hehadneverkissedawomaninhislifeexcepthissister——andmyownsisterswhenwewereallsmallchildrentogether。Overandabovethesekisses，hehaduntilquitelatelybeenrequiredtoimprintasolemnflabbykissnightandmorninguponhisfather’scheek，andthis，tothebestofmybelief，wastheextentofTheobald’sknowledgeinthematterofkissing，atthetimeofwhichIamnowwriting。Theresultoftheforegoingwasthathehadcometodislikewomen，asmysteriousbeingswhosewayswerenotashisways，northeirthoughtsashisthoughts。
WiththeseantecedentsTheobaldnaturallyfeltratherbashfulonfindinghimselftheadmiredoffivestrangeyoungladies。I
rememberwhenIwasaboymyselfIwasonceaskedtotaketeaatagirls’schoolwhereoneofmysisterswasboarding。Iwasthenabouttwelveyearsold。Everythingwentoffwellduringtea-time，fortheLadyPrincipaloftheestablishmentwaspresent。ButtherecameatimewhenshewentawayandIwasleftalonewiththegirls。
Themomentthemistress’sbackwasturnedtheheadgirl，whowasaboutmyownage，cameup，pointedherfingeratme，madeafaceandsaidsolemnly，“Ana-a-stybo-o-y！”Allthegirlsfollowedherinrotationmakingthesamegestureandthesamereproachuponmybeingaboy。Itgavemeagreatscare。IbelieveIcried，andIknowitwasalongtimebeforeIcouldagainfaceagirlwithoutastrongdesiretorunaway。
TheobaldfeltatfirstmuchasIhadmyselfdoneatthegirls’
school，buttheMissAllabysdidnottellhimhewasanastybo-o-
oy。TheirpapaandmammaweresocordialandtheythemselvesliftedhimsodeftlyoverconversationalstilesthatbeforedinnerwasoverTheobaldthoughtthefamilytobeareallyverycharmingone，andfeltasthoughhewerebeingappreciatedinawaytowhichhehadnothithertobeenaccustomed。
Withdinnerhisshynessworeoff。Hewasbynomeansplain，hisacademicprestigewasveryfair。Therewasnothingabouthimtolayholdofasunconventionalorridiculous；theimpressionhecreatedupontheyoungladieswasquiteasfavourableasthatwhichtheyhadcreateduponhimself；fortheyknewnotmuchmoreaboutmenthanheaboutwomen。
Assoonashewasgone，theharmonyoftheestablishmentwasbrokenbyastormwhicharoseuponthequestionwhichofthemitshouldbewhoshouldbecomeMrsPontifex。“Mydears。”saidtheirfather，whenhesawthattheydidnotseemlikelytosettlethematteramongthemselves，“Waittillto-morrow，andthenplayatcardsforhim。”
Havingsaidwhichheretiredtohisstudy，wherehetookanightlyglassofwhiskyandapipeoftobacco。
ThenextmorningsawTheobaldinhisroomscoachingapupil，andtheMissAllabysintheeldestMissAllaby’sbedroomplayingatcardswithTheobaldforthestakes。
ThewinnerwasChristina，thesecondunmarrieddaughter，thenjusttwenty-sevenyearsoldandthereforefouryearsolderthanTheobald。
TheyoungersisterscomplainedthatitwasthrowingahusbandawaytoletChristinatryandcatchhim，forshewassomucholderthatshehadnochance；butChristinashowedfightinawaynotusualwithher，forshewasbynatureyieldingandgoodtempered。Hermotherthoughtitbettertobackherup，sothetwodangerousoneswerepackedoffthenandthereonvisitstofriendssomewayoff，andthosealoneallowedtoremainathomewhoseloyaltycouldbedependedupon。Thebrothersdidnotevensuspectwhatwasgoingonandbelievedtheirfather’sgettingassistancewasbecausehereallywantedit。
ThesisterswhoremainedathomekepttheirwordsandgaveChristinaallthehelptheycould，foroverandabovetheirsenseoffairplaytheyreflectedthatthesoonerTheobaldwaslanded，thesooneranotherdeaconmightbesentforwhomightbewonbythemselves。SoquicklywasallmanagedthatthetwounreliablesisterswereactuallyoutofthehousebeforeTheobald’snextvisit——whichwasontheSundayfollowinghisfirst。
ThistimeTheobaldfeltquiteathomeinthehouseofhisnewfriends——forsoMrsAllabyinsistedthatheshouldcallthem。Shetook，shesaid，suchamotherlyinterestinyoungmen，especiallyinclergymen。Theobaldbelievedeverywordshesaid，ashehadbelievedhisfatherandallhiseldersfromhisyouthup。Christinasatnexthimatdinnerandplayedhercardsnolessjudiciouslythanshehadplayedtheminhersister’sbed-room。Shesmiledandhersmilewasoneofherstrongpointswheneverhespoketoher；shewentthroughallherlittleartlessnessesandsetforthallherlittlewaresinwhatshebelievedtobetheirmosttakingaspect。
Whocanblameher？TheobaldwasnottheidealshehaddreamedofwhenreadingByronupstairswithhersisters，buthewasanactualwithintheboundsofpossibility，andafterallnotabadactualasactualswent。Whatelsecouldshedo？Runaway？Shedarednot。
Marrybeneathherandbeconsideredadisgracetoherfamily？Shedarednot。Remainathomeandbecomeanoldmaidandbelaughedat？
Notifshecouldhelpit。Shedidtheonlythingthatcouldreasonablybeexpected。Shewasdrowning；Theobaldmightbeonlyastraw，butshecouldcatchathimandcatchathimsheaccordinglydid。
Ifthecourseoftrueloveneverrunssmooth，thecourseoftruematch-makingsometimesdoesso。Theonlygroundforcomplaintinthepresentcasewasthatitwasratherslow。TheobaldfellintothepartassignedtohimmoreeasilythanMrsCoweyandMrsAllabyhaddaredtohope。HewassoftenedbyChristina’swinningmanners：
headmiredthehighmoraltoneofeverythingshesaid；hersweetnesstowardshersistersandherfatherandmother，herreadinesstoundertakeanysmallburdenwhichnooneelseseemedwillingtoundertake，hersprightlymanners，allwerefascinatingtoonewho，thoughunusedtowoman’ssociety，wasstillahumanbeing。Hewasflatteredbyherunobtrusivebutobviouslysincereadmirationforhimself；sheseemedtoseehiminamorefavourablelight，andtounderstandhimbetterthananyoneoutsideofthischarmingfamilyhadeverdone。Insteadofsnubbinghimashisfather，brotherandsistersdid，shedrewhimout，listenedattentivelytoallhechosetosay，andevidentlywantedhimtosaystillmore。Hetoldacollegefriendthatheknewhewasinlovenow；hereallywas，forhelikedMissAllaby’ssocietymuchbetterthanthatofhissisters。
Overandabovetherecommendationsalreadyenumerated，shehadanotherinthepossessionofwhatwassupposedtobeaverybeautifulcontraltovoice。Hervoicewascertainlycontralto，forshecouldnotreachhigherthanDinthetreble；itsonlydefectwasthatitdidnotgocorrespondinglylowinthebass：inthosedays，however，acontraltovoicewasunderstoodtoincludeevenasopranoifthesopranocouldnotreachsopranonotes，anditwasnotnecessarythatitshouldhavethequalitywhichwenowassigntocontralto。Whathervoicewantedinrangeandpowerwasmadeupinthefeelingwithwhichshesang。Shehadtransposed“Angelseverbrightandfair“intoalowerkey，soastomakeitsuithervoice，thusproving，ashermammasaid，thatshehadathoroughknowledgeofthelawsofharmony；notonlydidshedothis，butateverypauseaddedanembellishmentofarpeggiosfromoneendtotheotherofthekeyboard，onaprinciplewhichhergovernesshadtaughther；shethusaddedlifeandinteresttoanairwhicheveryone——soshesaid——
mustfeeltoberatherheavyintheforminwhichHandelleftit。
Asforhergoverness，sheindeedhadbeenararelyaccomplishedmusician：shewasapupilofthefamousDrClarkeofCambridge，andusedtoplaytheoverturetoAtalanta，arrangedbyMazzinghi。
Nevertheless，itwassometimebeforeTheobaldcouldbringhiscouragetothestickingpointofactuallyproposing。Hemadeitquiteclearthathebelievedhimselftobemuchsmitten，butmonthaftermonthwentby，duringwhichtherewasstillsomuchhopeinTheobaldthatMrAllabydarednotdiscoverthathewasabletodohisdutyforhimself，andwasgettingimpatientatthenumberofhalf-guineashewasdisbursing——andyettherewasnoproposal。
Christina’smotherassuredhimthatshewasthebestdaughterinthewholeworld，andwouldbeapricelesstreasuretothemanwhomarriedher。TheobaldechoedMrsAllaby’ssentimentswithwarmth，butstill，thoughhevisitedtheRectorytwoorthreetimesaweek，besidescomingoveronSundays——hedidnotpropose。“Sheisheart-
wholeyet，dearMrPontifex。”saidMrsAllaby，oneday，“atleastI
believesheis。Itisnotforwantofadmirers——oh！no——shehashadherfullshareofthese，butsheistoo，toodifficulttoplease。I
think，however，shewouldfallbeforeaGREATANDGOODman。”AndshelookedhardatTheobald，whoblushed；butthedayswentbyandstillhedidnotpropose。
AnothertimeTheobaldactuallytookMrsCoweyintohisconfidence，andthereadermayguesswhataccountofChristinahegotfromher。
MrsCoweytriedthejealousymanoeuvreandhintedatapossiblerival。Theobaldwas，orpretendedtobe，verymuchalarmed；alittlerudimentarypangofjealousyshotacrosshisbosomandhebegantobelievewithpridethathewasnotonlyinlove，butdesperatelyinloveorhewouldneverfeelsojealous。
Nevertheless，dayafterdaystillwentbyandhedidnotpropose。
TheAllabysbehavedwithgreatjudgement。Theyhumouredhimtillhisretreatwaspracticallycutoff，thoughhestillflatteredhimselfthatitwasopen。OnedayaboutsixmonthsafterTheobaldhadbecomeanalmostdailyvisitorattheRectorytheconversationhappenedtoturnuponlongengagements。“Idon’tlikelongengagements，MrAllaby，doyou？”saidTheobaldimprudently。“No。”
saidMrAllabyinapointedtone，“norlongcourtships。”andhegaveTheobaldalookwhichhecouldnotpretendtomisunderstand。HewentbacktoCambridgeasfastashecouldgo，andindreadoftheconversationwithMrAllabywhichhefelttobeimpending，composedthefollowingletterwhichhedespatchedthatsameafternoonbyaprivatemessengertoCrampsford。Theletterwasasfollows：-