What I do question is, whether you really know your own mind in
this matter quite so well as you think you know it yourself. You can't
deny, George, that you have been in love with a good many women in your
time? Among the rest of them, you have been in love with Miss Brock.
No longer ago than this time last year there was a sneaking kindness
between you and that young lady, to say the least of it. And quite
right, too! Miss Brock is one of that round dozen of darlings I
mentioned over our first glass of wine."
"You are confusing an idle flirtation, sir, with a serious attachment,"
said George. "You are altogether mistaken--you are, indeed."
"Likely enough; I don't pretend to be infallible--I leave that to my
juniors. But I happen to have known you, George, since you were the
height of my old telescope; and I want to have this serious attachment
of yours put to the test. If you can satisfy me that your whole heart
and soul are as strongly set on Miss Vanstone as you suppose them to be,
I must knock under to necessity, and keep my objections to myself. But I
_must_ be satisfied first. Go to the Grange to-morrow, and stay there a
week in Miss Brock's society.
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