"Oh! Auguste--that is not fair. Besides, he has never spoken to me of love. He has never--I do not know whether he loves me--I have no reason to believe that he does." "No reason!"--he exclaimed, half surprised, half indignant--"no reason! I should think--but never mind--answer me this; if he did love you, do you love him or like him enough to take him for your husband?" "He has spoken to you, Auguste--he has spoken to you!" I exclaimed, blushing very deeply, but unable to conceal my gratification. "I am answered, Valerie, by the sparkle of those bright eyes. Yes, he has spoken to me, dearest sister; and asked my influence with you, and my permission to address you." "And you replied--?" "And I replied, that my permission was a matter of no consequence, for that you were entirely your own mistress, and that my influence would be exerted only to induce you to follow your own judgment and inclinations, and to consult for your own happiness." "Answered like a good and wise brother. And then he--?" "Asked, whether I could form any opinion of the state of your feelings. To which I replied, that I could only say that I had reason to suppose that your hand and heart were neither of them engaged, and that the field was open to him if he chose to make a trial. But that I had no opportunity of judging how you felt toward him. I also said, that I thought you knew very little of each other, and that his attachment must have grown up too rapidly to have taken a very strong root. But there I found I was mistaken. For he assured me that it was from esteem of your character, and admiration of your energy, courage, and constancy under adversity, not from the mere prettiness of your face, or niceness of your manners, that he first began to love you. And I since ascertained that there is scarce an incident of your life with which he has not made himself acquainted, and that in the most delicate and guarded manner. I confess, Valerie, that it has raised him greatly in my estimation to find that he looks upon marriage as a thing so serious and solemn, and does not rush into it from mere fancy for a pretty face and lady-like accomplishments." "I think so too, Auguste," I replied. "But I wish we knew a little more about him. His character and principles, I mean." Auguste looked at me for a moment, in great surprise. "What an exceedingly matter-of-fact girl you are, Valerie; I never knew any one in the least like you. Do you know I am afraid you are a little--" and he paused a moment, as if he hardly knew how to proceed.