WhatareallynicegirlmighthavedonewithhimIcannottell，butfatehadthrownnonesuchinhiswayexcepthisyoungestsisterAlethea，whomhemightperhapshavelikedifshehadnotbeenhissister。Theresultofhisexperiencewasthatwomenhadneverdonehimanygoodandhewasnotaccustomedtoassociatethemwithanypleasure；iftherewasapartofHamletinconnectionwiththemithadbeensocompletelycutoutintheeditionoftheplayinwhichhewasrequiredtoactthathehadcometodisbelieveinitsexistence。Asforkissing，hehadneverkissedawomaninhislifeexcepthissister——andmyownsisterswhenwewereallsmallchildrentogether。Overandabovethesekisses，hehaduntilquitelatelybeenrequiredtoimprintasolemnflabbykissnightandmorninguponhisfather’scheek，andthis，tothebestofmybelief，wastheextentofTheobald’sknowledgeinthematterofkissing，atthetimeofwhichIamnowwriting。Theresultoftheforegoingwasthathehadcometodislikewomen，asmysteriousbeingswhosewayswerenotashisways，northeirthoughtsashisthoughts。
　　WiththeseantecedentsTheobaldnaturallyfeltratherbashfulonfindinghimselftheadmiredoffivestrangeyoungladies。I
　　rememberwhenIwasaboymyselfIwasonceaskedtotaketeaatagirls’schoolwhereoneofmysisterswasboarding。Iwasthenabouttwelveyearsold。Everythingwentoffwellduringtea-time，fortheLadyPrincipaloftheestablishmentwaspresent。ButtherecameatimewhenshewentawayandIwasleftalonewiththegirls。
　　Themomentthemistress’sbackwasturnedtheheadgirl，whowasaboutmyownage，cameup，pointedherfingeratme，madeafaceandsaidsolemnly，“Ana-a-stybo-o-y！”Allthegirlsfollowedherinrotationmakingthesamegestureandthesamereproachuponmybeingaboy。Itgavemeagreatscare。IbelieveIcried，andIknowitwasalongtimebeforeIcouldagainfaceagirlwithoutastrongdesiretorunaway。
　　TheobaldfeltatfirstmuchasIhadmyselfdoneatthegirls’
　　school，buttheMissAllabysdidnottellhimhewasanastybo-o-
　　oy。TheirpapaandmammaweresocordialandtheythemselvesliftedhimsodeftlyoverconversationalstilesthatbeforedinnerwasoverTheobaldthoughtthefamilytobeareallyverycharmingone，andfeltasthoughhewerebeingappreciatedinawaytowhichhehadnothithertobeenaccustomed。
　　Withdinnerhisshynessworeoff。Hewasbynomeansplain，hisacademicprestigewasveryfair。Therewasnothingabouthimtolayholdofasunconventionalorridiculous；theimpressionhecreatedupontheyoungladieswasquiteasfavourableasthatwhichtheyhadcreateduponhimself；fortheyknewnotmuchmoreaboutmenthanheaboutwomen。
　　Assoonashewasgone，theharmonyoftheestablishmentwasbrokenbyastormwhicharoseuponthequestionwhichofthemitshouldbewhoshouldbecomeMrsPontifex。“Mydears。”saidtheirfather，whenhesawthattheydidnotseemlikelytosettlethematteramongthemselves，“Waittillto-morrow，andthenplayatcardsforhim。”
　　Havingsaidwhichheretiredtohisstudy，wherehetookanightlyglassofwhiskyandapipeoftobacco。
　　ThenextmorningsawTheobaldinhisroomscoachingapupil，andtheMissAllabysintheeldestMissAllaby’sbedroomplayingatcardswithTheobaldforthestakes。
　　ThewinnerwasChristina，thesecondunmarrieddaughter，thenjusttwenty-sevenyearsoldandthereforefouryearsolderthanTheobald。
　　TheyoungersisterscomplainedthatitwasthrowingahusbandawaytoletChristinatryandcatchhim，forshewassomucholderthatshehadnochance；butChristinashowedfightinawaynotusualwithher，forshewasbynatureyieldingandgoodtempered。Hermotherthoughtitbettertobackherup，sothetwodangerousoneswerepackedoffthenandthereonvisitstofriendssomewayoff，andthosealoneallowedtoremainathomewhoseloyaltycouldbedependedupon。Thebrothersdidnotevensuspectwhatwasgoingonandbelievedtheirfather’sgettingassistancewasbecausehereallywantedit。
　　ThesisterswhoremainedathomekepttheirwordsandgaveChristinaallthehelptheycould，foroverandabovetheirsenseoffairplaytheyreflectedthatthesoonerTheobaldwaslanded，thesooneranotherdeaconmightbesentforwhomightbewonbythemselves。SoquicklywasallmanagedthatthetwounreliablesisterswereactuallyoutofthehousebeforeTheobald’snextvisit——whichwasontheSundayfollowinghisfirst。
　　ThistimeTheobaldfeltquiteathomeinthehouseofhisnewfriends——forsoMrsAllabyinsistedthatheshouldcallthem。Shetook，shesaid，suchamotherlyinterestinyoungmen，especiallyinclergymen。Theobaldbelievedeverywordshesaid，ashehadbelievedhisfatherandallhiseldersfromhisyouthup。Christinasatnexthimatdinnerandplayedhercardsnolessjudiciouslythanshehadplayedtheminhersister’sbed-room。Shesmiledandhersmilewasoneofherstrongpointswheneverhespoketoher；shewentthroughallherlittleartlessnessesandsetforthallherlittlewaresinwhatshebelievedtobetheirmosttakingaspect。
　　Whocanblameher？TheobaldwasnottheidealshehaddreamedofwhenreadingByronupstairswithhersisters，buthewasanactualwithintheboundsofpossibility，andafterallnotabadactualasactualswent。Whatelsecouldshedo？Runaway？Shedarednot。
　　Marrybeneathherandbeconsideredadisgracetoherfamily？Shedarednot。Remainathomeandbecomeanoldmaidandbelaughedat？
　　Notifshecouldhelpit。Shedidtheonlythingthatcouldreasonablybeexpected。Shewasdrowning；Theobaldmightbeonlyastraw，butshecouldcatchathimandcatchathimsheaccordinglydid。
　　Ifthecourseoftrueloveneverrunssmooth，thecourseoftruematch-makingsometimesdoesso。Theonlygroundforcomplaintinthepresentcasewasthatitwasratherslow。TheobaldfellintothepartassignedtohimmoreeasilythanMrsCoweyandMrsAllabyhaddaredtohope。HewassoftenedbyChristina’swinningmanners：
　　headmiredthehighmoraltoneofeverythingshesaid；hersweetnesstowardshersistersandherfatherandmother，herreadinesstoundertakeanysmallburdenwhichnooneelseseemedwillingtoundertake，hersprightlymanners，allwerefascinatingtoonewho，thoughunusedtowoman’ssociety，wasstillahumanbeing。Hewasflatteredbyherunobtrusivebutobviouslysincereadmirationforhimself；sheseemedtoseehiminamorefavourablelight，andtounderstandhimbetterthananyoneoutsideofthischarmingfamilyhadeverdone。Insteadofsnubbinghimashisfather，brotherandsistersdid，shedrewhimout，listenedattentivelytoallhechosetosay，andevidentlywantedhimtosaystillmore。Hetoldacollegefriendthatheknewhewasinlovenow；hereallywas，forhelikedMissAllaby’ssocietymuchbetterthanthatofhissisters。
　　Overandabovetherecommendationsalreadyenumerated，shehadanotherinthepossessionofwhatwassupposedtobeaverybeautifulcontraltovoice。Hervoicewascertainlycontralto，forshecouldnotreachhigherthanDinthetreble；itsonlydefectwasthatitdidnotgocorrespondinglylowinthebass：inthosedays，however，acontraltovoicewasunderstoodtoincludeevenasopranoifthesopranocouldnotreachsopranonotes，anditwasnotnecessarythatitshouldhavethequalitywhichwenowassigntocontralto。Whathervoicewantedinrangeandpowerwasmadeupinthefeelingwithwhichshesang。Shehadtransposed“Angelseverbrightandfair“intoalowerkey，soastomakeitsuithervoice，thusproving，ashermammasaid，thatshehadathoroughknowledgeofthelawsofharmony；notonlydidshedothis，butateverypauseaddedanembellishmentofarpeggiosfromoneendtotheotherofthekeyboard，onaprinciplewhichhergovernesshadtaughther；shethusaddedlifeandinteresttoanairwhicheveryone——soshesaid——
　　mustfeeltoberatherheavyintheforminwhichHandelleftit。
　　Asforhergoverness，sheindeedhadbeenararelyaccomplishedmusician：shewasapupilofthefamousDrClarkeofCambridge，andusedtoplaytheoverturetoAtalanta，arrangedbyMazzinghi。
　　Nevertheless，itwassometimebeforeTheobaldcouldbringhiscouragetothestickingpointofactuallyproposing。Hemadeitquiteclearthathebelievedhimselftobemuchsmitten，butmonthaftermonthwentby，duringwhichtherewasstillsomuchhopeinTheobaldthatMrAllabydarednotdiscoverthathewasabletodohisdutyforhimself，andwasgettingimpatientatthenumberofhalf-guineashewasdisbursing——andyettherewasnoproposal。
　　Christina’smotherassuredhimthatshewasthebestdaughterinthewholeworld，andwouldbeapricelesstreasuretothemanwhomarriedher。TheobaldechoedMrsAllaby’ssentimentswithwarmth，butstill，thoughhevisitedtheRectorytwoorthreetimesaweek，besidescomingoveronSundays——hedidnotpropose。“Sheisheart-
　　wholeyet，dearMrPontifex。”saidMrsAllaby，oneday，“atleastI
　　believesheis。Itisnotforwantofadmirers——oh！no——shehashadherfullshareofthese，butsheistoo，toodifficulttoplease。I
　　think，however，shewouldfallbeforeaGREATANDGOODman。”AndshelookedhardatTheobald，whoblushed；butthedayswentbyandstillhedidnotpropose。
　　AnothertimeTheobaldactuallytookMrsCoweyintohisconfidence，andthereadermayguesswhataccountofChristinahegotfromher。
　　MrsCoweytriedthejealousymanoeuvreandhintedatapossiblerival。Theobaldwas，orpretendedtobe，verymuchalarmed；alittlerudimentarypangofjealousyshotacrosshisbosomandhebegantobelievewithpridethathewasnotonlyinlove，butdesperatelyinloveorhewouldneverfeelsojealous。
　　Nevertheless，dayafterdaystillwentbyandhedidnotpropose。
　　TheAllabysbehavedwithgreatjudgement。Theyhumouredhimtillhisretreatwaspracticallycutoff，thoughhestillflatteredhimselfthatitwasopen。OnedayaboutsixmonthsafterTheobaldhadbecomeanalmostdailyvisitorattheRectorytheconversationhappenedtoturnuponlongengagements。“Idon’tlikelongengagements，MrAllaby，doyou？”saidTheobaldimprudently。“No。”
　　saidMrAllabyinapointedtone，“norlongcourtships。”andhegaveTheobaldalookwhichhecouldnotpretendtomisunderstand。HewentbacktoCambridgeasfastashecouldgo，andindreadoftheconversationwithMrAllabywhichhefelttobeimpending，composedthefollowingletterwhichhedespatchedthatsameafternoonbyaprivatemessengertoCrampsford。Theletterwasasfollows：-