"I know no such thing," said he. "I thought I understood your
father specially to say that there had been no betrothal."

"No, Uncle Hatto, there has been no betrothal; that certainly is
true; but, nevertheless, we are engaged to each other."

"Well," said Uncle Hatto, very sourly; and now there was no longer
any cheery tone, or any calling of pretty names.

"Perhaps you may think all this very foolish," said Isa, who, spite
of her resolves to do so, was hardly able to look up gallantly into
her uncle's face as she thus talked of her own love affairs.

"Yes, I do," said Uncle Hatto. "I do think it foolish for young
people to hold themselves betrothed before they have got anything to
live on, and so I have told your father. He answered me by saying
that you were not betrothed."

"Nor are we. Papa is quite right in that."

"Then, my dear, I would advise you to tell the young man that, as
neither of you have means of your own, the thing must be at an end.
It is the only step for you to take. If you agreed to wait, one of
you might die, or his money might never be forth coming, or you
might see somebody else that you liked better."

"I don't think I shall do that."

"You can't tell. And if you don't, the chances are ten to one that