to keep faith with you, you would go away and travel, and see nations,
and peoples, and cities, and take a professor with you, and study books
and art, simultaneously with your study of men and manners; and then come
back at the end of two years, when I should find that my father would by
no means be indisposed to accept you as a son-in-law. You said your
reason for wishing to get my promise before starting was that your mind
would then be more at rest when you were far away, and so could give
itself more completely to knowledge than if you went as my unaccepted
lover only, fuming with anxiety as to how I should be when you came back.
I saw how reasonable that was; and solemnly swore myself to you in
consequence. But instead of going to see the world you stay on and on
here to see me.'

'And you don't want me to see you?'

'Yes--no--it is not that. It is that I have latterly felt frightened at
what I am doing when not in your actual presence. It seems so wicked not
to tell my father that I have a lover close at hand, within touch and
view of both of us; whereas if you were absent my conduct would not seem
quite so treacherous. The realities would not stare at one so. You
would be a pleasant dream to me, which I should be free to indulge in
without reproach of my conscience; I should live in hopeful expectation
of your returning fully qualified to boldly claim me of my father. There,
I have been terribly frank, I know.'

He in his turn had lapsed into gloomy breathings now. 'I did plan it as
you state,' he answered. 'I did mean to go away the moment I had your
promise. But, dear Christine, I did not foresee two or three things. I
did not know what a lot of pain it would cost to tear myself from you.
And I did not know that my stingy uncle--heaven forgive me calling him