Aunt Sarah did not know how to congratulate her niece. It seemed to her that any congratulation must be false and hypocritical. To her thinking, it would be a most unfitting match. It seemed to her that such an engagement had been most foolish. She was astonished at Mary's weakness, and was indignant with Walter Marrable. As regarded Mary, though she had twice uttered a word or two, intended as a caution, yet she had never thought it possible that a girl so steady in her ordinary demeanour, so utterly averse to all flirtation, so little given to the weakness of feminine susceptibility, would fall at once into such a quagmire of indiscreet love-troubles. The caution had been intended, rather in regard to outward appearances, and perhaps with the view of preventing the possibility of some slight heart-scratches, than with the idea that danger of this nature was to be dreaded. As Mr. Gilmore was there as an acknowledged suitor,--a suitor, as to whose ultimate success Aunt Sarah had her strong opinions,--it would be well those cousinly-brotherly associations and confidences should not become so close as to create possible embarrassment. Such had been the nature of Aunt Sarah's caution; and now,--in the course of a week or two,--when the young people were in truth still strangers to each other,--when Mr. Gilmore was still waiting for his answer,--Mary came to her, and told her that the engagement was a thing completed! How could she utter a word of congratulation? "You mean, then, to say that you disapprove of it?" said Mary, almost sternly. "I cannot say that I think it wise." "I am not speaking of wisdom. Of course, Mr. Gilmore is very much richer, and all that." "You know, Mary, that I would not counsel you to marry a man because he was rich." "That is what you mean when you tell me I am not wise. I tried it,--with all the power of thought and calculation that I could give to it, and I found that I could not marry Mr. Gilmore." "I am not speaking about that now." "You mean that Walter is so poor, that he never should be allowed to marry." "I don't care twopence about Walter." "But I do, Aunt Sarah. I care more about him than all the world beside. I had to think for him." "You did not take much time to think." "Hardly a minute--and yet it was sufficient." Then she paused, waiting for her aunt; but it seemed that her aunt had nothing further to say. "Well," continued Mary, "if it must be so, it must. If you cannot wish me joy--" "Dearest, you know well enough that I wish you all happiness."