“DearestMissChristina，——IdonotknowwhetheryouhaveguessedthefeelingsthatIhavelongentertainedforyou——feelingswhichIhaveconcealedasmuchasIcouldthroughfearofdrawingyouintoanengagementwhich，ifyouenterintoit，mustbeprolongedforaconsiderabletime，but，howeverthismaybe，itisoutofmypowertoconcealthemlonger；Iloveyou，ardently，devotedly，andsendthesefewlinesaskingyoutobemywife，becauseIdarenottrustmytonguetogiveadequateexpressiontothemagnitudeofmyaffectionforyou。
“Icannotpretendtoofferyouaheartwhichhasneverknowneitherloveordisappointment。Ihavelovedalready，andmyheartwasyearsinrecoveringfromthegriefIfeltatseeingherbecomeanother’s。That，however，isover，andhavingseenyourselfI
rejoiceoveradisappointmentwhichIthoughtatonetimewouldhavebeenfataltome。IthasleftmealessardentloverthanIshouldperhapsotherwisehavebeen，butithasincreasedtenfoldmypowerofappreciatingyourmanycharmsandmydesirethatyoushouldbecomemywife。Pleaseletmehaveafewlinesofanswerbythebearertoletmeknowwhetherornotmysuitisaccepted。IfyouacceptmeIwillatoncecomeandtalkthematteroverwithMrandMrsAllaby，whomIshallhopeonedaytobeallowedtocallfatherandmother。
“Ioughttowarnyouthatintheeventofyourconsentingtobemywifeitmaybeyearsbeforeourunioncanbeconsummated，forI
cannotmarrytillacollegelivingisofferedme。If，therefore，youseefittorejectme，Ishallbegrievedratherthansurprised——
Evermostdevotedlyyours，“THEOBALDPONTIFEX。”
AndthiswasallthathispublicschoolandUniversityeducationhadbeenabletodoforTheobald！Neverthelessforhisownparthethoughthisletterratheragoodone，andcongratulatedhimselfinparticularuponhisclevernessininventingthestoryofapreviousattachment，behindwhichheintendedtoshelterhimselfifChristinashouldcomplainofanylackoffervourinhisbehaviourtoher。
IneednotgiveChristina’sanswer，whichofcoursewastoaccept。
MuchasTheobaldfearedoldMrAllabyIdonotthinkhewouldhavewroughtuphiscouragetothepointofactuallyproposingbutforthefactoftheengagementbeingnecessarilyalongone，duringwhichadozenthingsmightturnuptobreakitoff。Howevermuchhemayhavedisapprovedoflongengagementsforotherpeople，Idoubtwhetherhehadanyparticularobjectiontotheminhisowncase。A
pairofloversarelikesunsetandsunrise：therearesuchthingseverydaybutweveryseldomseethem。Theobaldposedasthemostardentloverimaginable，but，tousethevulgarismforthemomentinfashion，itwasall“side。”Christinawasinlove，asindeedshehadbeentwentytimesalready。ButthenChristinawasimpressionableandcouldnotevenhearthename“Missolonghi“
mentionedwithoutburstingintotears。WhenTheobaldaccidentallylefthissermoncasebehindhimoneSunday，shesleptwithitinherbosomandwasforlornwhenshehadasitweretodisgorgeitonthefollowingSunday；butIdonotthinkTheobaldevertooksomuchasanoldtoothbrushofChristina’stobedwithhim。Why，Iknewayoungmanoncewhogotholdofhismistress’sskatesandsleptwiththemforafortnightandcriedwhenhehadtogivethemup。
Theobald’sengagementwasallverywellasfarasitwent，buttherewasanoldgentlemanwithabaldheadandrosycheeksinacounting-
houseinPaternosterRowwhomustsoonerorlaterbetoldofwhathissonhadinview，andTheobald’sheartflutteredwhenheaskedhimselfwhatviewthisoldgentlemanwaslikelytotakeofthesituation。Themurder，however，hadtocomeout，andTheobaldandhisintended，perhapsimprudently，resolvedonmakingacleanbreastofitatonce。HewrotewhatheandChristina，whohelpedhimtodrafttheletter，thoughttobeeverythingthatwasfilial，andexpressedhimselfasanxioustobemarriedwiththeleastpossibledelay。Hecouldnothelpsayingthis，asChristinawasathisshoulder，andheknewitwassafe，forhisfathermightbetrustednottohelphim。Hewoundupbyaskinghisfathertouseanyinfluencethatmightbeathiscommandtohelphimtogetaliving，inasmuchasitmightbeyearsbeforeacollegelivingfellvacant，andhesawnootherchanceofbeingabletomarry，forneitherhenorhisintendedhadanymoneyexceptTheobald’sfellowship，whichwould，ofcourse，lapseonhistakingawife。
AnystepofTheobald’swassuretobeobjectionableinhisfather’seyes，butthatatthree-and-twentyheshouldwanttomarryapennilessgirlwhowasfouryearsolderthanhimself，affordedagoldenopportunitywhichtheoldgentleman——forsoImaynowcallhim，ashewasatleastsixty——embracedwithcharacteristiceagerness。
“Theineffablefolly。”hewrote，onreceivinghisson’sletter，“ofyourfanciedpassionforMissAllabyfillsmewiththegravestapprehensions。Makingeveryallowanceforalover’sblindness，I
stillhavenodoubtthattheladyherselfisawell-conductedandamiableyoungperson，whowouldnotdisgraceourfamily，butwereshetentimesmoredesirableasadaughter-in-lawthanIcanallowmyselftohope，yourjointpovertyisaninsuperableobjectiontoyourmarriage。Ihavefourotherchildrenbesidesyourself，andmyexpensesdonotpermitmetosavemoney。Thisyeartheyhavebeenespeciallyheavy，indeedIhavehadtopurchasetwonotinconsiderablepiecesoflandwhichhappenedtocomeintothemarketandwerenecessarytocompleteapropertywhichIhavelongwantedtoroundoffinthisway。Igaveyouaneducationregardlessofexpense，whichhasputyouinpossessionofacomfortableincome，atanagewhenmanyyoungmenaredependent。Ihavethusstartedyoufairlyinlife，andmayclaimthatyoushouldceasetobeadraguponmefurther。Longengagementsareproverbiallyunsatisfactory，andinthepresentcasetheprospectseemsinterminable。Whatinterest，pray，doyousupposeIhavethatIcouldgetalivingforyou？CanIgoupanddownthecountrybeggingpeopletoprovideformysonbecausehehastakenitintohisheadtowanttogetmarriedwithoutsufficientmeans？
“Idonotwishtowriteunkindly，nothingcanbefartherfrommyrealfeelingstowardsyou，butthereisoftenmorekindnessinplainspeakingthaninanyamountofsoftwordswhichcanendinnosubstantialperformance。Ofcourse，Ibearinmindthatyouareofage，andcanthereforepleaseyourself，butifyouchoosetoclaimthestrictletterofthelaw，andactwithoutconsiderationforyourfather’sfeelings，youmustnotbesurprisedifyouonedayfindthatIhaveclaimedalikelibertyformyself——Believeme，youraffectionatefather，G。PONTIFEX。”
IfoundthisletteralongwiththosealreadygivenandafewmorewhichIneednotgive，butthroughoutwhichthesametoneprevails，andinallofwhichthereisthemoreorlessobviousshakeofthewillneartheendoftheletter。RememberingTheobald’sgeneraldumbnessconcerninghisfatherforthemanyyearsIknewhimafterhisfather’sdeath，therewasaneloquenceinthepreservationofthelettersandintheirendorsement“Lettersfrommyfather。”whichseemedtohavewithitsomefaintodourofhealthandnature。
Theobalddidnotshowhisfather’slettertoChristina，nor，indeed，Ibelievetoanyone。Hewasbynaturesecretive，andhadbeenrepressedtoomuchandtooearlytobecapableofrailingorblowingoffsteamwherehisfatherwasconcerned。Hissenseofwrongwasstillinarticulate，feltasadulldeadweighteverpresentdaybyday，andifhewokeatnight-timestillcontinuallypresent，buthehardlyknewwhatitwas。Iwasabouttheclosestfriendhehad，andIsawbutlittleofhim，forIcouldnotgetonwithhimforlongtogether。HesaidIhadnoreverence；whereasIthoughtthatIhadplentyofreverenceforwhatdeservedtoberevered，butthatthegodswhichhedeemedgoldenwereinrealitymadeofbasermetal。Henever，asIhavesaid，complainedofhisfathertome，andhisonlyotherfriendswere，likehimself，staidandprim，ofevangelicaltendencies，anddeeplyimbuedwithasenseofthesinfulnessofanyactofinsubordinationtoparents——goodyoungmen，infact——andonecannotblowoffsteamtoagoodyoungman。
WhenChristinawasinformedbyherloverofhisfather’sopposition，andofthetimewhichmustprobablyelapsebeforetheycouldbemarried，sheoffered——withhowmuchsincerityIknownot——tosethimfreefromhisengagement；butTheobalddeclinedtobereleased——“notatleast。”ashesaid，“atpresent。”ChristinaandMrsAllabyknewtheycouldmanagehim，andonthisnotverysatisfactoryfootingtheengagementwascontinued。
HisengagementandhisrefusaltobereleasedatonceraisedTheobaldinhisowngoodopinion。Dullashewas，hehadnosmallshareofquietself-approbation。HeadmiredhimselfforhisUniversitydistinction，forthepurityofhislifeIsaidofhimoncethatifhehadonlyabettertemperhewouldbeasinnocentasanew-laideggandforhisunimpeachableintegrityinmoneymatters。HedidnotdespairofadvancementintheChurchwhenhehadoncegotaliving，andofcourseitwaswithintheboundsofpossibilitythathemightonedaybecomeaBishop，andChristinasaidshefeltconvincedthatthiswouldultimatelybethecase。
Aswasnaturalforthedaughterandintendedwifeofaclergyman，Christina’sthoughtsranmuchuponreligion，andshewasresolvedthateventhoughanexaltedpositioninthisworldweredeniedtoherandTheobald，theirvirtuesshouldbefullyappreciatedinthenext。HerreligiousopinionscoincidedabsolutelywithTheobald’sown，andmanyaconversationdidshehavewithhimaboutthegloryofGod，andthecompletenesswithwhichtheywoulddevotethemselvestoit，assoonasTheobaldhadgothislivingandtheyweremarried。
SocertainwassheofthegreatresultswhichwouldthenensuethatshewonderedattimesattheblindnessshownbyProvidencetowardsitsowntruestinterestsinnotkillingofftherectorswhostoodbetweenTheobaldandhislivingalittlefaster。
InthosedayspeoplebelievedwithasimpledownrightnesswhichIdonotobserveamongeducatedmenandwomennow。IthadneversomuchascrossedTheobald’smindtodoubttheliteralaccuracyofanysyllableintheBible。Hehadneverseenanybookinwhichthiswasdisputed，normetwithanyonewhodoubtedit。True，therewasjustalittlescareaboutgeology，buttherewasnothinginit。IfitwassaidthatGodmadetheworldinsixdays，whyHedidmakeitinsixdays，neitherinmorenorless；ifitwassaidthatHeputAdamtosleep，tookoutoneofhisribsandmadeawomanofit，whyitwassoasamatterofcourse。He，Adam，wenttosleepasitmightbehimself，TheobaldPontifex，inagarden，asitmightbethegardenatCrampsfordRectoryduringthesummermonthswhenitwassopretty，onlythatitwaslarger，andhadsometamewildanimalsinit。ThenGodcameuptohim，asitmightbeMrAllabyorhisfather，dexterouslytookoutoneofhisribswithoutwakinghim，andmiraculouslyhealedthewoundsothatnotraceoftheoperationremained。Finally，Godhadtakentheribperhapsintothegreenhouse，andhadturneditintojustsuchanotheryoungwomanasChristina。Thatwashowitwasdone；therewasneitherdifficultynorshadowofdifficultyaboutthematter。CouldnotGoddoanythingHeliked，andhadHenotinHisowninspiredBooktoldusthatHehaddonethis？