'If you really love him,' said the mother, again caressing her eldest daughter as she acknowledged her love, but hardly with such tenderness as when that daughter had repudiated that other love--'if you really love him, dearest, of course I do not, of course I cannot, object.' 'I do, mamma; I do.' 'Well, then, Gertrude, so be it. I have not a word to say against your choice. Had I not believed him to be an excellent young man, I should not have allowed him to be here with you so much as he has been. We cannot all see with the same eyes, dearest, can we?' 'No, mamma; but pray don't think I dislike poor Harry; and, oh! mamma, pray don't set him against Alaric because of this----' 'Set him against Alaric! No, Gertrude. I certainly shall not do that. But whether I can reconcile Harry to it, that is another thing.' 'At any rate he has no right to be angry at it,' said Gertrude, assuming her air of dignity. 'Certainly not with you, Gertrude.' 'No, nor with Alaric,' said she, almost with indignation. 'That depends on what has passed between them. It is very hard to say how men so situated regard each other.' 'I know everything that has passed between them,' said Gertrude. 'I never gave Harry any encouragement. As soon as I understood my own feelings I endeavoured to make him understand them also.' 'But, my dearest, no one is blaming you.' 'But you are blaming Alaric.' 'Indeed I am not, Gertrude.' 'No man could have behaved more honourably to his friend,' said Gertrude; 'no man more nobly; and if Harry does not feel it so, he has not the good heart for which I always gave him credit.' 'Poor fellow! his friendship for Alaric will be greatly tried.' 'And, mamma, has not Alaric's friendship been tried? and has it not borne the trial nobly? Harry told him of--of--of his intentions; Harry told him long, long, long ago----' 'Ah me!--poor Harry!' sighed Mrs. Woodward. 'But you think nothing of Alaric!' 'Alaric is successful, my dear, and can----' Think sufficiently of himself, Mrs. Woodward was going to say, but she stopped herself. 'Harry told him all,' continued Gertrude, 'and Alaric--Alaric said nothing of his own feelings. Alaric never said a word to me that he might not have said before his friend--till--till--You must own, mamma, that no one can have behaved more nobly than Alaric has done.'