“Then you make your choice;—­but Jane, if you change your mind, write to me, and let me know.  I tried to leave off writing at one time; but it did no good, for I could do nothing that did not remind me of you.  Then it must be good-bye.  May God bless you, my beloved one, now and for ever!”

“May God bless you, my dear Francis, and now farewell!”

Another sort of farewell from her dismissal of William Dalzell!  Centuries had seemed to have passed over her since that first eventful day of her life.  She scarcely could identify herself with the woman who had so calmly and so kindly extinguished a fancied partiality, as she sat down in her own room and trembled from head to foot at the thought of the pain she had given, and the love she had rejected.  In the one case she was perfectly certain that she had done right, in this she was not by any means so clear.  As she heard her cousin restlessly pacing up and down the library, she felt tempted to go to him and say she would share his fortunes, and even destroy them for him if he wished it.  She looked at the mirror, and wondered at her being able to excite such an attachment; she looked into her own soul, and did not see anything in it to warrant a man in giving her such a power over him.  Duty was clear as to the dismissal of William Dalzell, and the result had proved that she was in the right; and now, when duty was so terribly difficult, surely time, that tardy, but certain adjuster of life’s inequalities, would justify her both to Francis and herself.  William Dalzell’s love had appeared to evaporate; but Francis’ had grown more intense and passionate till she felt she could scarcely look at him.

But it was true that she had admired his speeches, and that she was ambitious for his success in all his plans.  Every one who knew anything about the subject said that Francis Hogarth was the most promising young man who had entered the walls of parliament at this recent general election.  He had given great attention to public business; he had mastered the details with ease; and the principles seemed to be intuitive with him.

He had become acquainted with a small band of outsiders like himself, men of independence and originality, who kept aloof from party, but whose votes were of importance to both parties, and whose approbation was of far more value than that of the strongest partizan.  No one could tell to what height he might not rise from such a beginning; the ministry had noticed him favourably, and he was as likely as not to be offered office before the parliament had expired.

Mr. Sinclair had told her how his hopes rested on the new member for the burghs, and how many public matters and reforms they talked over together with constant reference to first principles.