"Well, I suppose it is my impatience that has made me think you long," acknowledged Mrs. Dan. "Sit down, Mildred; I wish to speak to you. Mrs. George has been here." "Has she?" returned Mildred, somewhat apathetically; but she took a chair, as she was told to do. "She came to talk to me about future prospects. And I am glad you were out with that ribbon, Mildred, for our conversation was confidential." "About her prospects, mamma?" inquired Mildred, raising her mild dark eyes. "Hers!" repeated Mrs. Dan. "Her prospects, like mine, will soon be drawing to a close. Not that she's as old as I am by a good ten years. She came to speak of yours, Mildred." Mildred made no rejoinder this time, but a faint colour arose to her face. "Your Aunt George is very fond of you, Mildred." "Oh, yes," said Mildred, rather nervously; and Mrs. Dan paused before she resumed. "I think you must have seen, child, for some time past, that we all wanted you and William to make a match of it." The announcement was, perhaps, unnecessarily abrupt. The blush on Mildred's face deepened to a glowing crimson. "Mrs. George never spoke out freely to me on the subject until this afternoon, but her manner was enough to tell me that it was in their minds. I saw it coming as plainly as I could see anything." Mildred made no remark. She had untied her bonnet, and began to play nervously with the strings as they hung down on either side her neck. "But though I felt sure that it was in their minds," continued Mrs. Dan, "though I saw the bent of William's inclinations--always bringing him here to you--I never encouraged the feeling; I never forwarded it by so much as the lifting of a finger. You must have seen, Mildred, that I did not. In one sense of the word, you are not William's equal----" Mrs. Dan momentarily arrested her words, the startled look of inquiry on her daughter's face was so painful. "Do not misunderstand me, my dear. In point of station you and he are the same, for the families are one. But William will be wealthy, and William is accomplished; you are neither. In that point of view you may be said not to be on an equality with him; and there's no doubt that William Arkell might go a-wooing into families of higher pretension than his own, and be successful. It may be, that these considerations have withheld me and kept me neuter; but I have not--I repeat it, as I did twice over to Mrs. George just now--I have not forwarded the matter by so much as the lifting of a finger." Mildred knew that. "The gossiping town will, no doubt, cast ill-natured remarks upon me, and say that I have angled for my attractive nephew, and caught him; but my conscience stands clear upon the point before my Maker; and Mrs. George knows that it does. They have come forward of themselves, unsought by me; unsought, as I heartily believe, Mildred, by you." "Oh, yes," was the eager, fervent answer.