What Jane would have contrived to answer she never knew, but at that moment her mother's step was heard approaching. All she did was to glance shyly up at Mr. Halliburton, and he bent his head lower and kissed her. Then he walked rapidly to the door and opened it for Mrs. Tait--a pale, refined, delicate-looking lady, wrapped in a shawl. These violent headaches, from which she so frequently suffered, did not affect her permanent health, but on the days she suffered she would be utterly prostrated. Mr. Halliburton gave her his arm, and led her to a seat by the fire, his voice low and tender, his manner sympathizing. "I am already better," she said to him, "and shall be much better after tea. Sometimes I am tempted to envy those who do not know what a sick-headache is." "They may know other maladies as painful, dear Mrs. Tait." "Ay, indeed. None of us can expect to be free from pain of one sort or another in this world." "Shall I make the tea, mamma?" asked Jane. "Yes, dear; I shall be glad of it, and your papa is sure to be in soon. There he is!" she added, as the latch-key was heard in the door. "The boys are late this evening." The rector came in, and, ere the evening was over, the news was broken to him by Mr. Halliburton. He wanted Jane. It was the imperfect, uncertain shadow of twelve months ago become substance. It had been a shadow of the future only, you understand--not a shadow of evil. To Mr. Halliburton, personally, the rector had no objection--he had learned to love, esteem, and respect him--but it is a serious thing to give away a child. "The income is very small to marry upon," he observed. "It is also uncertain." "Not uncertain, sir, so long as I am blessed with health and strength. And I have no reason to fear that these will fail." "I thought you were bent on taking Orders." Mr. Halliburton's cheek slightly flushed. "It is a prospect I have fondly cherished," he said; "but its difficulties alarm me. The cost of the University is great; and were I to wait until I had saved sufficient money to go to college, I should be obliged, in a great degree, to give up my present means of living. Who would employ a tutor who must frequently be away for weeks? I should lose my connection, and perhaps never regain it. A good teaching connection is more easily lost than won." "True," observed Mr. Tait. "Once in Orders, I might remain for years a poor curate. I should most likely do so. I have neither interest nor influence. Sir, in that case Jane and I might be obliged to wait for years: perhaps go down to our graves waiting." The Rev. Francis Tait threw back his thoughts. How _he_ had waited; how he was not able to marry until years were advancing upon him; how in four years now he should have attained threescore years and ten--the term allotted to the life of man--whilst his children were still growing up around him! No! never, never would he counsel another to wait as he had been obliged to wait.