"My happiness," replied Alfred, in a strange hurried manner, "is quite irrelevant to the present subject: but I am not, I trust, so selfish as to feel any desire to condemn a lady to a life of celibacy, merely because--but let us lay aside this painful subject; I shall endeavour as quickly as possible to forget all things connected with it, except, indeed, the feelings of heartfelt gratitude so justly due to you, my dear Willoughby." While this conversation was passing in the lawn, Geoffery, whom we left in the drawing-room with the ladies of the family, addressed Mrs. Dorothea Arden thus: "So you really think it will be a match between Alfred and Lady Caroline Montague?" "I should think so, certainly," replied Mrs. Dorothea; "his attentions have been very marked, and have been received with decided approbation, both by mother and daughter; and I am sure that he is, poor fellow, very sincerely attached." "We all thought it quite settled," said Jane. Her sisters echoed nearly the same sentiment. "There can be no doubt," observed Lady Arden, "that Alfred would have a right to consider himself very ill treated, if any objection to his pretensions were started at this late period." "There was a great difference, however, last night," said Louisa, "in Lady Caroline's manner." "And a still greater this morning," added Madeline. "Your ladyship thinks Alfred attached to Lady Caroline?" asked Geoffrey. "Unquestionably!" replied Lady Arden. "If the affair should not go on, it will be a very serious disappointment to him, I am convinced." "And her ladyship received him well up to last night?" persisted Geoffrey. "I should certainly say so," Lady Arden replied. * * * * * END OF VOL. I. * * * * * C. WHITING, BEAUFORT HOUSE, STRAND. End of Project Gutenberg's Dilemmas of Pride, (VOL 1 OF 3), by Margracia Loudon