Tellmenowwhathasmadeyourunawayfrommesofastthesefewdays——tellme，yousweetlittlecoquette!“Maryceasedstruggling，butturnedsoastobealmostoppositetohim，whileshespokeoutcalmly，andboldly。“MrCarson!Iwanttospeaktoyouforonceandforall。SinceImetyoulastMondayevening，Ihavemadeupmymindtohavenothingmoretodowithyou。IknowI’vebeenwronginleadingyoutothinkIlikedyou；butIbelieveIdidn’trightlyknowmyownmind；andIhumblybegyourpardon，sir，ifI’veledyoutothinktoomuchofme。Foraninstanthewassurprised；thenext，vanitycametohisaid，andconvincedhimthatshecouldonlybejoking。He，young，agreeable，rich，handsome!No!shewasonlyshowingalittlewomanlyfondnessforcoquetting。“You’readarlinglittlerascaltogooninthisway!’Humblybeggingmypardonifyou’vemademethinktoomuchofyou。’Asifyoudidn’tknowIthinkofyoufrommorningtonight。Butyouwanttobetolditagainandagain，doyou？““No，indeed，sir，Idon’t。Iwouldfarlieferthatyoushouldsayyouwouldneverthinkofmeagain，thanthatyoushouldspeakofmeinthisway。
Forindeed，sir，IneverwasmoreinearnestthanIam，whenIsayto-nightisthelastnightIwilleverspeaktoyou。“Lastnight，yousweetlittleequivocator，butnotlastday。Ha，Mary，I’vecaughtyou，haveI？“asshe，puzzledbyhisperseveranceinthinkingherjoking，hesitatedinwhatformshecouldnowputhermeaning。“Imean，sir，“shesaidsharply，“thatIwillneverspeaktoyouagain，atanytime，afterto-night。““Andwhat’smadethischange，Mary？“saidhe，seriouslyenoughnow。“HaveIdoneanythingtooffendyou？“addedhe，earnestly。“No，sir，“sheansweredgently，butyetfirmly。“IcannottellyouexactlywhyI’vechangedmymind；butIshallnotalteritagain；and，asIsaidbefore，IbegyourpardonifI’vedonewrongbyyou。Andnow，sir，ifyouplease，goodnight。““ButIdonotplease。Youshallnotgo。WhathaveIdone，Mary？Tellme。
YoumustnotgowithouttellingmehowIhavevexedyou。Whatwouldyouhavemedo？““Nothing，sir，but“inanagitatedtone，“oh!letmego!Youcannotchangemymindit’squitemadeup。Oh，sir!whydoyouholdmesotight？IfyouwillknowwhyIwon’thaveanythingmoretodowithyou，itisthatIcannotloveyou。Ihavetried，andIreallycannot。“Thisnaiveandcandidavowalservedherbutlittle。Hecouldnotunderstandhowitcouldbetrue。Somereasonlurkedbehind。Hewaspassionatelyinlove。Whatshouldhedototempther？Athoughtstruckhim。“Listen!Mary。Nay，Icannotletyougotillyouhaveheardme。Idoloveyoudearly；andIwon’tbelievebutwhatyoulovemeaverylittle，justaverylittle。Well，ifyoudon’tliketoownit，nevermindIonlywantnowtotellyouhowmuchIloveyou，bywhatIamreadytogiveupforyou。Youknoworperhapsyouarenotfullyawarehowlittlemyfatherandmotherwouldlikemetomarryyou。Soangrywouldtheybe，andsomuchridiculeshouldIhavetobrave，thatofcourseIhaveneverthoughtofittillnow。Ithoughtwecouldbehappyenoughwithoutmarriage。“DeepsankthosewordsintoMary’sheart。“Butnow，ifyoulike，I’llgetalicenceto-morrowmorning——nay，to-night，andI’llmarryyouindefianceofalltheworld，ratherthangiveyouup。Inayearortwomyfatherwillforgiveme，andmeanwhileyoushallhaveeveryluxurymoneycanpurchase，andeverycharmthatlovecandevisetomakeyourlifehappy。Afterall，mymotherwasbutafactorygirl。“Thiswassaidtohimself，asiftoreconcilehimselftothisboldstep。“Now，Mary，youseehowwillingI
amto——tosacrificeagooddealforyou；Ievenofferyoumarriage，tosatisfyyourlittleambitiousheart；sonow，won’tyousay，youcanlovemealittle，littlebit？“Hepulledhertowardshim。Tohissurprise，shestillresisted。YesIthoughallshehadpicturedtoherselfforsomanymonthsinbeingthewifeofMrCarsonwasnowwithinhergrasp，sheresisted。Hisspeechhadgivenherbutonefeeling，thatofexceedinggreatrelief。Forshehaddreaded，nowsheknewwhattruelovewas，tothinkoftheattachmentshemighthavecreated；thedeepfeelingherflirtingconductmighthavecalledout。Shehadloadedherselfwithreproachesforthemiseryshemighthavecaused。
Itwasarelief，togatherthattheattachmentwasofthatlow，despicablekindwhichcanplantoseducetheobjectofitsaffection；thatthefeelingshehadcausedwasshallowenoughforitonlypretendedtoembraceself；
attheexpenseofthemisery，theruin，ofonefalselytermedbeloved。
Sheneednotbepenitenttosuchaplotter!Thatwastherelief。“Iamobligedtoyou，sir，fortellingmewhatyouhave。YoumaythinkIamafool；butIdidthinkyoumeanttomarrymeallalong；andyet，thinkingso，IfeltIcouldnotloveyou。StillIfeltsorryIhadgonesofarinkeepingcompanywithyou。Now，sir，Itellyou，ifIhadlovedyoubefore，Idon’tthinkIshouldhavelovedyounowyouhavetoldmeyoumeanttoruinme；forthat’stheplainEnglishofnotmeaningtomarrymetilljustthisminute。IsaidIwassorry，andhumblybeggedyourpardon；
thatwasbeforeIknewwhatyouwere。NowIscornyou，sir，forplottingtoruinapoorgirl。Goodnight。“Andwithawrench，forwhichshehadreservedallherstrength，sheflewofflikeabolt。Theyheardherflyingfootstepsechodownthequietstreet。
ThenextsoundwasSally’slaugh，whichgratedonMrCarson’sears，andkeenlyirritatedhim。“Andwhatdoyoufindsoamusing，Sally？“askedhe。“Oh，sir，Ibegyourpardon。Ihumblybegyourpardon，asMarysays，butIcan’thelplaughingtothinkhowshe’soutwittedus。“Shewasgoingtohavesaid，“outwittedyou，“butchangedthepronoun。“Why，Sally，hadyouanyideashewasgoingtoflyoutinthisstyle？““No，Ihadn’t，tobesure。Butifyoudidthinkofmarryingher，whyifImaybesoboldastoaskdidyougoandtellheryouhadnothoughtofdoingotherwisebyher？Thatwaswhatputherupatlast!““Why，Ihadrepeatedlybeforeledhertoinferthatmarriagewasnotmyobject。Ineverdreamedshecouldhavebeensofoolishastohavemistakenme，littleprovokingromancerthoughshebe!SoInaturallywishedhertoknowwhatasacrificeofprejudice，of-ofmyself，inshort，Iwaswillingtomakeforhersake；yetIdon’tthinkshewasawareofitafterall。
IbelieveImighthaveanyladyinManchesterifIliked，andyetIwaswillingandreadytomarryapoordressmaker。Don’tyouunderstandmenow？
anddon’tyouseewhatasacrificeIwasmakingtohumourher？andalltonoavail。“Sallywassilent，sohewenton：“Myfatherwouldhaveforgivenanytemporaryconnexion，farsoonerthanmymarryingonesofarbeneathmeinrank。““Ithoughtyousaid，sir，yourmotherwasafactorygirl，“remarkedSally，rathermaliciously。“Yes，yes!——butthenmyfatherwasinmuchsuchastation；atanyrate，therewasnotthedisparitythereisbetweenMaryandme。Anotherpause。“Thenyoumeantogiveherup，sir？Shemadenobonesofsayingshegaveyouup。“No；Idonotmeantogiveherup，whateveryouandshemaypleasetothink。
Iammoreinlovewithherthanever；evenforthischarmingcapriciousebullitionofhers。She’llcomeround，youmaydependuponit。Womenalwaydo。Theyalwayshavesecondthoughts，andfindoutthattheyarebestincastingoffalover。Mind，Idon’tsayIshallofferherthesametermsagain。“Withafewmorewordsofnoimportance，thealliesparted。
Ilovedhimnot；andyet，nowheisgone，IfeelIamalone。Icheckedhimwhilehespoke；yetcouldhespeak，Alas!Iwouldnotcheck。ForreasonsnottolovehimonceIsought，Andweariedallmythought。W。S。LANDOR。AndnowMaryhad，asshethought，dismissedbothherlovers。Buttheylookedontheirdismissalswithverydifferenteyes。Hewholovedherwithallhisheartandwithallhissoul，consideredhisrejectionfinal。Hedidnotcomforthimselfwiththeidea，whichwouldhaveprovedsowellfoundedinhiscase，thatwomenhavesecondthoughtsaboutcastingofftheirlovers。
HehadtoomuchrespectforhisownheartinessoflovetobelievehimselfunworthyofMary；thatmockhumbleconceitdidnotenterhishead。Hethoughthedid“nothitMary’sfancy“；andthoughthatmaysoundatrivialevery-dayexpression，yettherealityofitcuthimtotheheart。Wildvisionsofenlistment，ofdrinkinghimselfintoforgetfulness，ofbecomingdesperateinsomewayoranother，enteredhismind；butthenthethoughtofhismotherstoodlikeanangelwithadrawnswordinthewaytosin。For，youknow，“hewastheonlysonofhismother，andshewasawidow“；dependentonhimfordailybread。Sohecouldnotsquanderawayhealthandtime，whichweretohimmoneywherewithtosupportherfailingyears。Hewenttohiswork，accordingly，toalloutwardsemblancejustasusual；butwithaheavy，heavyheartwithin。MrCarson，aswehaveseen，perseveredinconsideringMary’srejectionofhimasmerelya“charmingcaprice。“Ifshewereatwork，SallyLeadbitterwassuretoslipapassionatelylovingnoteintoherhand，andthensoski]fullymoveawayfromherside，thatMarycouldnotallatoncereturnit，withoutmakingsomesensationamongtheworkwomen。Shewasevenforcedtotakeseveralhomewithher。Butafterreadingone，shedeterminedonherplan。ShemadenogreatresistancetoreceivingthemfromSally，butkeptthemunopened，andoccasionallyreturnedtheminablankhalf-sheetofpaper。Butfarworsethanthis，wasthebeingsoconstantlywaylaidasshewenthomebyherperseveringlover；whohadbeensolongacquaintedwithallherhabits，thatshefounditdifficulttoevadehim。Lateorearly，shewasnevercertainofbeingfreefromhim。Gothiswayorthat，hemightcomeupsomecrossstreetwhenshehadjustcongratulatedherselfonevadinghimforthatday。Hecouldnothavetakenasurermodeofmakinghimselfodioustoher。AndallthistimeJemWilsonnevercameINottoseeher——thatshedidnotexpect——buttoseeherfather；to——shedidnotknowwhat，butshehadhopedhewouldhavecomeonsomeexcuse，justtoseeifshehadn’tchangedhermind。Henevercame。Thenshegrewwearyandimpatient，andherspiritssank。Thepersecutionoftheonelover，andtheneglectoftheother，oppressedhersorely。Shecouldnotnowsitquietlythroughtheeveningatherwork；
or，ifshekept，byastrongeffort，frompacingupanddowntheroom，shefeltasifshemustsingtokeepoffthoughtwhileshesewed。Andhersongswerethemaddest，merriest，shecouldthinkof。“BarbaraAllen，“
andsuchsorrowfulditties，didwellenoughforhappytimes；butnowsherequiredalltheaidthatcouldbederivedfromexternalexcitementtokeepdowntheimpulseofgrief。Andherfather，too——hewasagreatanxietytoher，helookedsochangedandsoill。Yethewouldnotacknowledgetoanyailment。Sheknew，thatbeitaslateasitwould，sheneverleftoffworkuntilifthepoorservantspaidherprettyregularlyfortheoddjobsofmendingshedidforthem
shehadearnedafewpence，enoughforonegoodmealforherfatheronthenextday。Butveryfrequentlyallshecoulddointhemorning，afterherlatesittingupatnight，wastorunwiththeworkhome，andreceivethemoneyfromthepersonforwhomitwasdone。Shecouldnotstayoftentomakepurchasesoffood，butgaveupthemoneyatoncetoherfather’seagerclutch；sometimespromptedbyasavagehungeritistrue，butmorefrequentlybyacravingforopium。Onthewholehewasnotsohungryashisdaughter。Foritwasalongfastfromtheoneo’clockdinner-houratMissSimmonds’tothecloseofMary’svigil，whichwasoftenextendedtomidnight。Shewasyoung，andhadnotyetlearnedtobear“clemming。“Oneevening，asshesangamerrysongoverherwork，stoppingoccasionallytosigh，theblindMargaretcamegropingin。IthadbeenoneofMary’sadditionalsorrowsthatherfriendhadbeenabsentfromhome，accompanyingthelectureronmusicinhisroundamongthemanufacturingtownsofYorkshireandLancashire。Hergrandfather，too，hadseenthisagoodtimeforgoinghisexpeditionsinsearchofspecimens；sothatthehousehadbeenshutupforseveralweeks。“Oh!Margaret，Margaret!howgladIamtoseeyou。Takecare。There，now，you’reallright，that’sfather’schair。Sitdown。“——Shekissedheroverandoveragain。“Itseemslikethebeginningo’brightertimes，toseeyouagain，Margaret。
Blessyou!Andhowwellyoulook!““Doctorsalwayssendailingfolkforchangeofair：andyouknowI’vehadplentyo’thatsamelately。““You’vebeenquiteatravellerforsure!Tellusallaboutit，do，Margaret。