saying how much it had been to him. He says she was exceedingly
kind, and regretted extremely that anything should have inspired the
hope, said she should never marry again, and entreated him to forget
it, then I imagine she fled in here to put an end to it."

"She must have been much more gentle this time than she was with
Keith. I had never conceived her capable of being so furious as she
was then. I am very sorry, I wish we could spare her these things."

"I am afraid that can only be done in one way, which you are not
likely at present to take," said Ermine with a serious mouth, but
with light dancing in her eyes.

"I know no one less likely to marry again," he continued, "yet no one
of whom the world is so unlikely to believe it. Her very gentle
simplicity and tenderness tell against her! Well, the only hope now
is that the poor man has not made his disappointment conspicuous
enough for her to know that it is attributed to her. It is the
beginning of the fulfilment of Keith's prediction that offers and
reports will harass her into the deed!"

"There is nothing so fallacious as prophecies against second
marriages, but I don't believe they will. She is too quietly
dignified for the full brunt of reports to reach her, and too much
concentrated on her children to care about them."

"Well, I have to see her to-morrow to make her sign some papers about
her pension, so I shall perhaps find out how she takes it."

He found Fanny quite her gentle composed self, as usual