Marian perceived his emotion, but rather than seem to notice it, she
assumed a sort of gaiety. "I'll tell you, Edmund. You shall marry a very
nice wife, and take some delightful little house somewhere hereabouts,
and we will come and stay with you till Gerald is of age."

"Which he will be long before I have either house or wife," said Edmund,
in the same tone, "but mind, Marian, it is a bargain, unless you grow so
fond of the Lyddells as to retract."

"Impossible."

"Well, I will not strengthen your prejudices by contending with them."

"Prejudice! to say that I can never be as happy anywhere as at my own
dear home! To say that I cannot bear strangers!"

"If they were to remain strangers for all the years that you are likely
to spend with them, there might be something in that. But I see you
cannot bear to be told that you can ever be happy again, so I will not
say so any more, especially as I must finish my letters."

"And I will try to write mine," said Marian with a sigh, as she reached
the door, and went up to take off her bonnet.

Edmund lingered for a moment in the hall, and there was met by Mrs.
Wortley, who said she was glad to see that he had been out, for he was
looking pale and harassed. "I did not go out for any pleasant purpose,"
said he. "I had to pronounce sentence on poor Marian."

"Is it finally settled?" said Mrs. Wortley. "We still had hopes of