But, in the meantime, the world's dictum was strong at Littlebath, and did influence this dear lady. She would prefer the name of Lady Bertram to that of Miss Baker for the remainder of the term of years allotted to her. It would please her to walk into a room as a married woman, and to quit herself of that disgrace, which injustice and prejudice, and the folly of her own sex rather than of the other, had so cruelly attached to her present position. And then, to be _Lady_ Bertram! There were but few angels at this time in Littlebath, and Miss Baker was not one of them: she had a taint of vanity in her composition; but we doubt if such female vanity could exist in any human breast in a more pardonable form than it did in hers. And then, perhaps, this plan of marrying might have the wished-for effect on Sir Lionel's way of living;--and how desirable was this! Would it not be a splendid work for her to reclaim a lost colonel? Might it not be her duty to marry him with this special object? There certainly did appear to be some difficulty as to money. If, as Miss Todd assured her, Sir Lionel were really in difficulties, her own present annuity--all that she could absolutely call her own--her one hundred and eighty-nine pounds, seventeen shillings and threepence per annum--would not help them much. Sir Lionel was at any rate disinterested in his offer; that at least was clear to her. And then a sudden light broke in upon her meditations. Sir Lionel and the old gentleman were at variance. We allude to the old gentleman at Hadley: with the other old gentleman, of whom we wot, it may be presumed that Sir Lionel was on tolerably favourable terms. Might not she be the means of bringing the two brothers together? If she were Lady Bertram, would not the old gentleman receive Sir Lionel back to his bosom for her sake--to his bosom, and also to his purse? But before she took any step in the dark, she resolved to ask the old gentleman the question. It is true that Sir Lionel had desired her to speak to no person on the subject; but that injunction of course referred to strangers. It could not but be expected that on such a matter she should consult her best friends. Sir Lionel had also enjoined a speedy answer; and in order that she might not disappoint him in this matter, she resolved to put the question at once to Mr. Bertram. Great measures require great means. She would herself go to Hadley on the morrow--and so she wrote a letter that night, to beg that her uncle would expect her. "So; you got tired of Littlebath before the month was out?" said he. "Oh! but I am going back again." "Going back again! Then why the d---- have you come up now?" Alas! it was too clear that the old gentleman was not in one of his more pacific moods.