"Well," he said at length, "be it so. I certainly do not care much about the child myself, not being able to forget where that face of hers came from--you do; you want to make a penniless lady of her; she wants to go with you: have both your wish. If she should prove troublesome or in the way, send her back to me, or, in my absence, to Mrs. Marks. You distinctly understand that I am willing to provide for her; though, I suppose," he added, looking at Cornelius, "I must not propose--" "No, Sir," gravely interrupted the young man. "Very well; provide for her too, since such is your fancy. Take her; you are welcome to her." And thus it was decided; and in less than a quarter of an hour we had not only left Thornton House, but the surly porter at the lodge had closed his iron gates upon us, and we were on our way to Ryde, whence Cornelius wished to proceed to London, straight on, that same evening. After walking on for awhile in utter silence, Cornelius said to me-- "Are you tired. Margaret?" "Oh no!" I answered eagerly. Indeed the question seemed to take away my sense of fatigue. For some time, the fear of being left behind lent me fictitious strength; but at length my sore and weary feet could carry me no further; in the wildest and most desolate part of the road I was obliged to stop short. "What is the matter?" asked Cornelius. "I can't go on," I replied, despondingly. "Can't you, indeed?" "No," I said, sitting down on a milestone, and feeling ready to cry, "I can't at all." "Well, then, if you can't at all," coolly observed Cornelius, "I must carry you." "I am very heavy!" I objected, astonished at the suggestion. He laughed, and attempted to lift me up, but I resisted. "Oh! it will fatigue you so!" I said. "No, nature has given me such extraordinary strength that I can bear without fatigue burdens--like you, for instance--beneath which other men would sink." He raised me with an ease that justified his assertion. I clasped my arms around his neck, rested my head on his shoulder, and feeling how firm and secure was his hold, I yielded with a pleasurable sensation to a mode of conveyance which I found both novel and luxurious. I could not however help asking once, with lingering uneasiness, "If he did not feel tired?" "No; strange to say, and heavy as you are, I do not: but why do you shiver? Are you cold?" "No, thank you," I replied, but my teeth chattered as I spoke. "I hope it is nothing worse than cold," uneasily observed Cornelius, stopping short; "undo the clasp of my cloak, and bring it around you." I obeyed; he helped to wrap me up in the warm and ample folds, and we resumed our journey, a moment interrupted. He walked fast; we soon reached Ryde; but he would not let me come to light until we were safely housed. I heard a staid voice observing-- "Your carpet-bag. I presume, Sir. It will be quite safe here."