THERE IS NO HURRY. 18] —

when she was astonished, first by a letter, and
then by a visit, from her former lover; he came
to renew his engagement, and to wed her even
then if she would have him; but Mary’s high
principle was stronger than he imagined. ‘ No,”
she said, “you are not independent of your
father, and whatever I feel, I have no right to
draw you down into poverty, You may fancy
now that you could bear it; but a time would
come—if not to you, to me—when thé utter
selfishness of such conduct would goad me to
a death of early misery.” The young man ap-
pealed to her uncle, who thought her feelings
overstrained, but respected hé@for it neverthe
less; and in the warmth of his admiration, he
communicated the circumstance to his wife and
daughter.

‘‘ Refuse her old lover under present circum-
stances,” repeated her cousin to herself as she
left the room ; “there must be some other rea--
son than that; she could not be so foolish as to
reject such an offer at such atime.” Unfortu-
nately, she saw Edwin Lechmere walking by
Mary’s side, under the shadow of some trees.
She watched them until the foliage screened
them from her sight, and then she shut herself
into her own room, and yielded to a long and
violent burst of tears. “It is not enough,” she
exclaimed, in the bitterness of her feelings, ‘that
the comforts of my parents’ declining years
should be “nae by the overwhelming burden

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