‘Indeed I am.’

’He is so good.  You don’t know how good he is as yet; he never thinks of himself, and thinks so much of those he loves.’

Beatrice took her friend’s hand in her own and kissed it.  She was full of joy.  When a girl is about to be married, when she may lawfully talk of love, there is no music in her ears so sweet as the praises of her lover.

‘I made up my mind from the first that he should marry you.’

‘Nonsense, Patience.’

’I did, indeed.  I made up my mind that he should marry; and there were only two to choose from.’

‘Me and Miss Gushing,’ said Beatrice, laughing.

‘No; not exactly Miss Gushing.  I had not many fears for Caleb there.’

‘I declare she is very pretty,’ said Beatrice, who could afford to be good-natured.  Now Miss Gushing certainly was pretty; and would have been very pretty had her nose not turned up so much, and could she have parted her hair in the centre.

‘Well, I am very glad you chose me;—­if it was you who chose,’ said Beatrice, modestly; having, however, in her own mind a strong opinion that Mr Oriel had chosen for himself, and had never any doubt in the matter.  ‘And who was the other?’

‘Can’t you guess?’

‘I won’t guess any more; perhaps Mrs Green.’

’Oh, no; certainly not a widow.  I don’t like widows marrying.  But of course you could guess if you would; of course it was Mary Thorne.  But I soon saw Mary would not do, for two reasons; Caleb would never have liked her well enough nor would she have ever liked him.’

‘Not like him! oh I hope she will; I do so love Mary Thorne.’

’So do I dearly; and so does Caleb; but he could never have loved her as he loves you.’

‘But, Patience, have you told Mary?’

‘No, I have told no one, and shall not without your leave.’

’Ah, you must tell her.  Tell it her with my best, and kindest, warmest love.  Tell her how happy I am, and how I long to talk to her.  Tell that I will have her for my bridesmaid.  Oh!  I do hope that before that all this horrid quarrel will be settled.

Patience undertook the commission, and did tell Mary; did give her also the message which Beatrice had sent.  And Mary was rejoiced to hear it; for though, as Patience had said of her, she had never herself felt any inclination to fall in love with Mr Oriel, she believed him to be one in whose hands her friend’s happiness would be secure.  Then, by degrees, the conversation changed from the loves of Mr Oriel and Beatrice to the troubles of Frank Gresham and herself.

’She says that let what will happen you shall be one of her bridesmaids.’

’Ah, yes, dear Trichy! that was settled between us in auld lang syne; but those settlements are all unsettled now, and must be broken.  No, I cannot be her bridesmaid; but I shall yet hope to see her once before her marriage.’