72 FORTY-FOUR YEA RSOP 



"Well, Mary," said I, " if I went back to live with my 

 motlier, and was then to hear that some other young man 

 had come to court you, and your crael fatlier (for he is 

 cruel to me) compelled you to marry him, I should be mad 

 enough to commit murder." 



" You will never have occasion to do anything wrong 

 on my account," said she; "for neither father, mother, nor 

 any one else, shall ever persuade or force me to marry a 

 man I do not love." 



" Well, Mary, have you ever yet seen a young man 

 whom you loved well enough to marry ? " 



" That is a hard question ; but I will tell you that I 

 love your company better than that of any other whom 

 I have yet seen ; but marrying I have never taken into 

 consideration ; and it will be time enough to think of that 

 five or six years hence." 



" But, Mary, if I should make my home with my mother, 

 and stay there five or six years, you will be married before 

 half that time passes." 



" Well, that will not be my fault ; for, if you go and 

 leave me, you cannot expect me to come after you, or send 

 for yju to come to me. No, sir, if I did, you would de- 

 spise me ; and well you might, if I was to do anything so 

 much out of place. If you are so fearful of my marrying, 

 you had better stay and keep the advantage you have 

 gained, and make as much more of it as you can. I have 

 informed you that I love your company better tlian that 

 of any other young man, and that is all I intend to tell 

 you ; and, if I had not foolishly divulged my secret to you, 

 I would not do so now, for you seem to have lost your 

 confidence in me. I have given you no reason for such a 

 change of opinion. I promised you, when you left last 

 winter, 4iat if you came back in five or six years, 

 you would find me as you left me ; and have you not 

 found IMC as good as my word ? You know, also, that 



