persuade himself that Jane's face was charming, though not regularly
handsome; so it was to some people, but he had not eyes to see the
charm. Her figure was undeniably fine, her temper good, her principles
to be depended on. Her education had been peculiar, and singularly
secular--his mother had felt a little shocked at her want of
religion--but then Mr. Hogarth was very odd, and when she was married she
would see things differently; and on the whole Mrs. Dalzell felt that her
handsome son had chosen with great prudence and good sense in fixing
his affections upon the elder and the favorite niece. His small
property was heavily encumbered, and such a marriage would make him
hold up his head again in the country. Mrs. Dalzell's attentions
to Jane had been nearly as assiduous as her son's, and to the
motherless girl they were quite as welcome; and she had shown so much
affection for Alice, too, that both sisters had been very much
captivated with her.

William Dalzell felt Jane's kindly-meant speech as a sort of reproach.
He would have preferred to make a speech himself, and to have seen her
more agitated. Though he had never thought himself very much in love,
he believed he had inspired a strong love, and that it would be very
hard for Jane to give him up. But things were completely taken out of
his hands; she did not even now, in the first pain of parting, dream of
breaking her heart. She was his superior, painfully his superior, and
he did not like it.

"You are quite right, Miss Melville," said he; "what you say is quite
true. I am involved and embarrassed, and could not offer you anything
worth having."

"And I will make my own way in the world," said Jane; "and,