creature, a dependant, one born to be snubbed as a young woman almost without an identity of her own.  When, therefore, she so pertinaciously refused him, he could not but be angry.  And it was natural that he should be surprised.  Though he was to have received a fortune with Dorothy, the money was not hers.  It was to be hers or rather theirs only if she would accept him.  Mr Gibson thoroughly understood this point.  He knew that Dorothy had nothing of her own.  The proposal made to her was as rich as though he had sought her down at Nuncombe Putney, with his preferment, plus the 2000 pounds, in his own pocket.  And his other advantages were not hidden from his own eyes.  He was a clergyman, well thought of, not bad-looking certainly, considerably under forty—­a man, indeed, who ought to have been, in the eyes of Dorothy, such an Orlando as she would have most desired.  He could not therefore but wonder.  And then came the doubt.  Could it be possible that all those refusals were simply the early pulses of hesitating compliance produced by maidenly reserve?  Mr Gibson’s friend had expressed a strong opinion that almost any young woman would accept any young man if he put his ’com ‘ether’ upon her strong enough.  For Mr Gibson’s friend was an Irishman.  As to Dorothy the friend had not a doubt in the world.  Mr Gibson, as he stood alone in the room after Dorothy’s departure, could not share his friend’s certainty; but he thought it just possible that the pulsations of maidenly reserve were yet at work.  As he was revolving these points in his mind, Miss Stanbury entered the room.

‘It’s all over now,’ she said.

‘As how, Miss Stanbury?’

‘As how!  She’s given you an answer; hasn’t she?’

’Yes, Miss Stanbury, she has given me an answer.  But it has occurred to me that young ladies are sometimes perhaps a little—­’

’She means it, Mr Gibson; you may take my word for that.  She is quite in earnest.  She can take the bit between her teeth as well as another, though she does look so mild and gentle.  She’s a Stanbury all over.’

‘And must this be the last of it, Miss Stanbury?’

’Upon my word, I don’t know what else you can do unless you send the Dean and Chapter to talk er over.  She’s a pig-headed, foolish young woman but I can’t help that.  The truth is, you didn’t make enough of her at first, Mr Gibson.  You thought the plum would tumble into your mouth.’

This did seem cruel to the poor man.  From the first day in which the project had been opened to him by Miss Stanbury, he had yielded a ready acquiescence in spite of those ties which he had at Heavitree and had done his very best to fall into her views.  ’I don’t think that is at all fair, Miss Stanbury,’ he said, with some tone of wrath in his voice.

’It’s true quite true.  You always treated her as though she were something beneath you.’  Mr Gibson stood speechless, with his mouth open.’so you did.  I saw it all.  And now she’s had spirit enough to resent it.  I don’t wonder at it; I don’t, indeed.  It’s no good your standing there any longer.  The thing is done.’