“Instantly the thought arose my mind, ‘Why has my cousin never married?’ I did not believe that she had remained single out of any regard for me, or from any desire to fulfill the conditions of our uncle’s will; indeed, she had expressed herself so indignantly at the time of its reading, that I imagined she would always be adverse to any such union. Still, it seemed strange that a young lady so attractive, and eligible in every way, should have remained single, when I did not doubt, indeed I knew, she might have chosen from among a half-dozen men whose fortunes were even larger than her own. “‘Perhaps,’ I thought, ‘she has become bitter and antagonistic—is bound to enjoy her money until the last moment, and then pass it over to me.’ I did not want it—the thought was very disagreeable to me. Perhaps she loved a poor man, and was intending to make the most of her time; perhaps, I reasoned, she has been saving her income all these years, and will marry when her twenty-five years are past; maybe she is even waiting to tire me out and get the whole for that purpose. But there appeared to be no one of whom she was fond. I noticed that she treated all gentlemen alike, even receiving my visits and attentions with no more pleasure than those of others. “‘Why not marry her if she will have you?’ was the thought that shot through my mind, as I started out to get the roses I had promised her. ‘I will not give up my fortune to that miser without a struggle. I might ask her to be my wife, and then, if she refuses, I have fulfilled the conditions of my uncle’s will.’ But, at first, a feeling of horror came over me, at the thought of giving to another the place which my Annie had filled, and I angrily repudiated it. I avoided my cousin’s society for a time after that, almost hating myself for contemplating for a moment a marriage with her for mercenary reasons. But when she chided me gently for my neglect, seeming to feel actual pain on account of it, those questions returned to me with even greater force than before, and I resolved to try to learn her mind upon the subject. “I knew that I should lead a wretched existence in this great house, with no woman to brighten it with her presence, and, perhaps, after a time, if she should consent, I might confess the great temptation and sorrow that had come to me, and perhaps she would pardon it, and be willing to receive my boy and give him a mother’s care. As soon as I reached this conclusion, I made no delay about putting my fate to the test. “We were one day talking about my estate here, and of some improvements I was intending to make, when I suddenly said: “‘Estelle, Vue de l’Eau has no mistress. I wonder if you could regard the conditions of Uncle Jabez’s will any more favorably now than you did at the time of his death?’ “She flushed hotly, and shot a quick, keen glance at me. “‘I believe we were mutually antagonistic to it,’ she replied.