Her depression vanished; her sunny look returned; and they conversed together thereafter as though they had known each other for years--as though he had been her father's friend, and had nursed her on his knee when she was a child. Needless to say, he made matters right with this simple, innocent, confiding young lady, and that from that time there existed between them a bond which was destined to ripen into the closest and most binding tie which man and woman can contract. At first she looked upon him as her second father, but insensibly there dawned upon her soul a love as sweet and strong as if he had been a twenty years younger man than he was. When he asked her to be his wife, telling her that he most truly loved her, that he would devote himself to her and make her the happiest woman in the world, she raised a thousand objections. "One objection would be sufficient," he said, sadly, "if you cannot forget it. My age." She declared, indeed, that that was not an obstacle--that she looked up to him as she could to no other man--that he was the noblest being who had ever crossed her path of life, and that she could never, never forget him. Mr. Holdfast urged her then to explain to him in plain terms the precise nature of her objections. "I can make you happy," he said. "You could make any woman happy," she replied. "And I should be the happiest man--you would make me so." "I would try," she replied, softly. "Then tell me why you raise cruel obstacles in the way of our happiness. I will marry you by force if you are not candid with me." "You know nothing of my family," she said; "my parents are dead, and the few relatives I have I would not allow to darken the threshold of your door." "Nor shall they. You shall be the mistress and the master of my house, and I will be your slave." "For shame to talk in that way to a foolish girl like me--to a girl who is almost nameless, and who has not a shilling to her fortune!" "Have I not more than enough? Do you wish to make me believe that you do not understand my character?" "No; I do understand it, and if you were poor like me, or I were rich like you-- But even then there would be an obstacle hard to surmount. Your son is but a few years older than myself--he might be my brother. I should be ashamed to look him in the face. He would say I married you for your money. Before the wedding day, were he to say a word to me, were he to give one look, to touch my pride, I would run away, and you would never, never find me. Ah! let us say good-bye--let us shake hands and part! It is best so. Then I shall never have anything to reproach myself with. Then I should not be made to suffer from the remarks of envious people that I tricked you into a marriage with a penniless, friendless girl!"