"Nay, I won't hear you say that of yourself. You have certainly been very, very foolish." "And 'the Foolishness of Fools is Sin.'" Here she again wept. "Well, _Prue_, if it _be_ so, still we know what is to be done." "What? Oh, tell me!" "'I will arise, and go unto my Father, and will say unto him--'" "Oh, not to my _Father_!" "'To my _Mother_, and will say unto her, _Mother_, I have....'" My own Tears here burst forth. I believe they, and the few Words of the Text I had cited proved the best Eloquence; for in an Instant _Prue_ was clinging to me, choking in Tears, and saying, "I will! I will!" Overcome by our Emotions, we said no more till we slept, I holding her to my Heart, full of Love and Pity, though perturbed beyond Expression at her Conduct. My _Father_ requiring so much of our Care, it was seldom that we were all three together; however, the next Day, after he had dined with more Comfort to himself than usual, he folded his Hands together and said, "Thank GOD for my good Dinner! And now I'll have a Nap, and you may all go down Stairs till I pull the Bell." Some trifling Affair prevented my immediately joining my _Mother_ and _Sister_. When I went into the Parlour, I found _Prue_ had just screwed her Courage to the Point of Confession. "_Mother_," she was saying, "I've done so wrong--" and began to cry. "What is it, _Prue_?" said my _Mother_ gently, who was blanching Almonds. "Say first, _Mother_, that you'll forgive me--" "Nay, let me first hear what I have to forgive. I am not such a very unforgiving Person, Child, am I?" "No indeed, _Mother_!" kissing her Hand. "But oh! I don't know what you'll say! I'm engaged to _Tom_!" "I guessed as much long ago," said my _Mother_ coolly. "You did!" "Yes--you were very poor Secret-keepers, _Prue_; clumsy Adepts in Concealment! I guessed, ever since he went, that that Glass Ring was a Love-token." _Prue_ blushed very deeply. "Ah," said she, fluttering, and looking with downcast Fondness on the slighted Bauble, "it _is_ a Love-token, indeed, _Mother_! and even more than that." "What more?" said my _Mother_ quickly. _Prudence_ was silent. "You don't mean, _Prudence_," with some Agitation in her Tone, "that it's a Wedding Ring?" "What if it were, dear _Mother_?" (faltering)--"Should you be very angry?" "I should be angry and hurt--deeply hurt!" "Ah--" _Prue_, who was kneeling beside my _Mother_, turned her Head aside and looked into the Fire. "Speak, _Patty_!" said my Mother, much perturbed, "and tell me if you can--since your _Sister_ will not--Has there been a Marriage?" "A Fleet-Marriage, or Something of that Sort," said I, reluctantly. "A Fleet-Marriage?" cried my _Mother_, holding up her Hands, and sinking back in her Chair.