"Hush, hush!" said Alwright, who had established herself in the school-room, where she reigned supreme over needles and frames, to the great disgust of old Ashwell. "Young ladies should never talk of being married, or guess what their elders mean! Now, take your frames, be good maids, and sit up straight at your work, and I will tell you how my lady and I went to visit the convent at Rome." Phyllis was right in guessing that her mother's words related to a matrimonial proposition for Winifred, though she was mistaken in the person. Doctor Mercer had admired Winifred from the first of their acquaintance. They were naturally thrown much together during the continuance of the fever, and afterwards, in Winifred's own sick-room. And the more he knew her, the more he saw to admire. Doctor Mercer, blunt and odd as it pleased him at times to appear, was a gentleman, and a man of strong and warm feelings. He had known little of women, having always been devoted to science and to his profession, and had been in the habit of looking upon them with a kind of indulgent contempt, as poor weak creatures, who must be borne with and taken care of because they "were" weak, and because they were necessary to the well-being and continuance of the race. But in Winifred he had met with a woman who had commanded first his admiration, and then his respect and love, by her quiet courage, her docility and good sense, and her straightforward truthfulness. The end of the matter was that the grave, middle-aged doctor had fallen in love with the girl of eighteen. And this very morning he had, after the fashion considered decorous at the time, made proposals to Lady Corbet as being her present guardian, for the hand of Winifred Evans, and she in her turn had propounded the matter to Lady Peckham. "You see, cousin, it may be or might have been considered a fine match for our Winifred. Doctor Mercer is no common apothecary but a physician, besides that he is a gentleman of a good old family, and hath a moderate fortune of his own besides his profession. He is a man of high character, and a good Christian. I am sure his prayers and his exhortations, when my poor children were ill, were as good as a clergyman's, and so said Mr. Gunnison himself. To be sure, he is a thought elderly for Winifred, but then she is grave beyond her years." "And what does Winifred think of the matter?" asked Lady Peckham, as soon as she could get in a word. "Does she like this Doctor Mercer?" "She always speaks well of him, and talks and laughs with him when he comes to see her, especially since she has been so much better. More than that, I cannot say. But no doubt she will be guided by you in the matter. I told Doctor Mercer, 'My cousin Margaret has taken the gentlewoman under her own charge,' said I; 'and she is the person to be consulted, but doubtless Winifred will be governed by her will, as is becoming.'"