"Ah, yes; that shows that the whole thing couldn't come to much. If there was an engagement at all, it must be a very long one. Years must roll by." From the artistic manner in which Mrs. Rowan allowed her voice to dwell upon the words which signified duration of space, any hope of a marriage between Luke and Rachel seemed to be put off at any rate to some future century. "Years must roll by, and we all know what that means. The lady dies of a broken heart, while the gentleman lives in a bachelor's rooms, and dines always at his club. Nobody can wish such a state of things as that, Mrs. Ray." "I knew a girl who was engaged for seven years," said Mrs. Tappitt, "and she wore herself to a thread-paper,--so she did. And then he married his housekeeper after all." "I'd sooner see my girl make up her mind to be an old maid than let her have a long engagement," said Mrs. Rowan. "And so would I, my girls, all three. If anybody comes, I say to them, 'Let your papa see them. He'll know what's the meaning of it.' It don't do for young girls to manage those things all themselves. Not but what I think my girls have almost as much wit about them as I have. I won't mention any names, but there's a young man about here as well-to-do as any young man in the South Hams, but Cherry won't as much as look at him." Mrs. Rowan again tossed her head. She felt her misfortune in being burthened with such a colleague as Mrs. Tappitt. "What is it you want me to do, Mrs. Rowan?" asked Mrs. Ray. "I want you and your daughter, who I am sure is a very nice young lady, and good-looking too,--" "Oh, quite so," said Mrs. Tappitt. "I want you both to understand that this little thing should be allowed to drop. If my boy has done anything foolish I'm here to apologize for him. He isn't the first that has been foolish, and I'm afraid he won't be the last. But it can't be believed, Mrs. Ray, that marriages should be run up in this thoughtless sort of way. In the first place the young people don't know anything of each other; absolutely nothing at all. And then,--but I'm sure I don't want to insist on any differences that there may be in their positions in life. Only you must be aware of this, Mrs. Ray, that such a marriage as that would be very injurious to a young man like my son Luke." "My child wouldn't wish to injure anybody." "And therefore, of course, she won't think any more about it. All I want from you is that you should promise me that." "If Rachel will only just say that," said Mrs. Tappitt, "my daughters will be as happy to see her out walking with them as ever." "Rachel has had quite enough of such walking, Mrs. Tappitt; quite enough." "If harm has come of it, it hasn't been the fault of my girls," said Mrs. Tappitt.