Mr. Winters laughed as he replied, “Very likely you may, Robert, and be no Solomon either; but it wont answer. Set up a store on credit, and break next year; and as for school-keeping—no, no, I must see some surer prospect of your being able to support a wife, before you can have Rose with my consent.” “But, Mr. Winters, none of our girls here expect to marry rich. I wonder where they’d find husbands, if they looked for money! not in this town, I am sure.” “There must be something to look to, though, either money or business. Take my word for it, young man, you would find love but light stuff to live upon without something more substantial along with it.” Selwyn was silent for a few moments, and then said in a tone of severe disappointment, “Well, I must say, sir, that I did not look for this refusal. You never objected to my visits to Rose.” “No, but I wish I had, since neither of you have as much sense as I thought for. I have been to blame, and am sorry for it; but there has been enough said now, Robert—all the talking in the world will not alter my mind at present.” It was after this conversation that Selwyn, finding the farmer inflexible, and Rose determined to sacrifice her love rather than disobey her father, formed the resolution to go out in a whaling ship, just about to leave the port. Rose sought in vain to dissuade him. He told her his mind was made up. “If you wont have me, Rose,” said he, “I may as well be on the ocean as the land, for I shall never marry any one else; but I shall not hold you bound—for most likely I shall never return.” “I didn’t expect to hear you say such a thing as that, Cousin Robert,” answered Rose, with her eyes full of tears; “but you may hold me bound or not, just as you please, I shall wait for you. If you should forget me, I could never believe in the love of any man afterward.” The ship sailed unexpectedly, and Selwyn, much to his disappointment, was obliged to depart without again seeing Rose; and the sudden news that he had gone, occasioned the burst of feeling in her, with which our story opened.