HethenproceededtoreadachapterfromtheBible；afterwhichhetookhisleavewiththesameaffectionatekindnesswithwhichhehadgreetedme，havingrepeatedhisdesirethatIshouldconsidereverythinginhishouseasaltogetheratmydisposal。ItisneedlesstosaythatI
　　wasmuchpleasedwithmyuncle——itwasimpossibletoavoidbeingso；andIcouldnothelpsayingtomyself，ifsuchamanasthisisnotsafefromtheassaultsofslander，whois？IfeltmuchhappierthanIhaddonesincemyfather’sdeath，andenjoyedthatnightthefirstrefreshingsleepwhichhadvisitedmesincethatevent。
　　Mycuriosityrespectingmymalecousindidnotlongremainunsatisfied——heappearedthenextdayatdinner。Hismanners，thoughnotsocoarseasIhadexpected，wereexceedinglydisagreeable；
　　therewasanassuranceandaforwardnessforwhichIwasnotprepared；therewaslessofthevulgarityofmanner，andalmostmoreofthatofthemind，thanI
　　hadanticipated。Ifeltquiteuncomfortableinhispresence；therewasjustthatconfidenceinhislookandtonewhichwouldreadencouragementeveninmeretoleration；andIfeltmoredisgustedandannoyedatthecoarseandextravagantcomplimentswhichhewaspleasedfromtimetotimetopayme，thanperhapstheextentoftheatrocitymightfullyhavewarranted。Itwas，however，oneconsolationthathedidnotoftenappear，beingmuchengrossedbypursuitsaboutwhichI
　　neitherknewnorcaredanything；butwhenhedidappear，hisattentions，eitherwithaviewtohisamusementortosomemoreseriousadvantage，weresoobviouslyandperseveringlydirectedtome，thatyoungandinexperiencedasIwas，even_I_
　　couldnotbeignorantofhispreference。I
　　feltmoreprovokedbythisodiouspersecutionthanIcanexpress，anddiscouragedhimwithsomuchvigour，thatIemployedevenrudenesstoconvincehimthathisassiduitieswereunwelcome；butallinvain。
　　Thishadgoneonfornearlyatwelve-
　　month，tomyinfiniteannoyance，whenonedayasIwassittingatsomeneedle-workwithmycompanionEmily，aswasmyhabit，intheparlour，thedooropened，andmycousinEdwardenteredtheroom。
　　Therewassomething，Ithought，oddinhismanner——akindofstrugglebetweenshameandimpudence——akindofflurryandambiguitywhichmadehimappear，ifpossible，morethanordinarilydisagreeable。
　　’Yourservant，ladies，’hesaid，seatinghimselfatthesametime；’sorrytospoilyourtete-a-tete，butnevermind，I’llonlytakeEmily’splaceforaminuteortwo；
　　andthenwepartforawhile，faircousin。
　　Emily，myfatherwantsyouinthecornerturret。Noshilly-shally；he’sinahurry。’
　　Shehesitated。’Beoff——tramp，march!’
　　heexclaimed，inatonewhichthepoorgirldarednotdisobey。
　　Shelefttheroom，andEdwardfollowedhertothedoor。Hestoodthereforaminuteortwo，asifreflectingwhatheshouldsay，perhapssatisfyinghimselfthatnoonewaswithinhearinginthehall。
　　Atlengthheturnedabout，havingclosedthedoor，asifcarelessly，withhisfoot；andadvancingslowly，asifindeepthought，hetookhisseatatthesideofthetableoppositetomine。
　　Therewasabriefintervalofsilence，afterwhichhesaid：
　　’Iimaginethatyouhaveashrewdsuspicionoftheobjectofmyearlyvisit；butIsupposeImustgointoparticulars。
　　MustI？’
　　’Ihavenoconception，’Ireplied，’whatyourobjectmaybe。’
　　’Well，well，’saidhe，becomingmoreathiseaseasheproceeded，’itmaybetoldinafewwords。Youknowthatitistotallyimpossible——quiteoutofthequestion——
　　thatanoffhandyoungfellowlikeme，andagood-lookinggirllikeyourself，couldmeetcontinually，asyouandIhavedone，withoutanattachment——alikinggrowingupononesideorother；inshort，IthinkIhaveletyouknowasplainasifIspokeit，thatIhavebeeninlovewithyoualmostfromthefirsttimeIsawyou。’
　　Hepaused；butIwastoomuchhorrifiedtospeak。Heinterpretedmysilencefavourably。
　　’Icantellyou，’hecontinued，’I’mreckonedratherhardtoplease，andveryhardtoHIT。Ican’tsaywhenIwastakenwithagirlbefore；soyouseefortunereservedme——’
　　Heretheodiouswretchwoundhisarmroundmywaist。Theactionatoncerestoredmetoutterance，andwiththemostindignantvehemenceIreleasedmyselffromhishold，andatthesametimesaid：
　　’Ihavenotbeeninsensible，sir，ofyourmostdisagreeableattentions——theyhavelongbeenasourceofmuchannoyancetome；andyoumustbeawarethatIhavemarkedmydisapprobation——mydisgust——
　　asunequivocallyasIpossiblycould，withoutactualindelicacy。’
　　Ipaused，almostoutofbreathfromtherapiditywithwhichIhadspoken；andwithoutgivinghimtimetorenewtheconversation，Ihastilyquittedtheroom，leavinghiminaparoxysmofrageandmortification。AsIascendedthestairs，Iheardhimopentheparlour-doorwithviolence，andtaketwoorthreerapidstridesinthedirectioninwhichIwasmoving。I
　　wasnowmuchfrightened，andranthewholewayuntilIreachedmyroom；andhavinglockedthedoor，Ilistenedbreathlessly，butheardnosound。Thisrelievedmeforthepresent；butsomuchhadI
　　beenovercomebytheagitationandannoyanceattendantuponthescenewhichIhadjustgonethrough，thatwhenmycousinEmilyknockedatmydoor，Iwasweepinginstronghysterics。
　　Youwillreadilyconceivemydistress，whenyoureflectuponmystrongdisliketomycousinEdward，combinedwithmyyouthandextremeinexperience。Anyproposalofsuchanaturemusthaveagitatedme；butthatitshouldhavecomefromthemanwhomofallothersImostloathedandabhorred，andtowhomIhad，asclearlyasmannercoulddoit，expressedthestateofmyfeelings，wasalmosttoooverwhelmingtobeborne。Itwasacalamity，too，inwhichIcouldnotclaimthesym-
　　pathyofmycousinEmily，whichhadalwaysbeenextendedtomeinmyminorgrievances。StillIhopedthatitmightnotbeunattendedwithgood；forI
　　thoughtthatoneinevitableandmostwelcomeconsequencewouldresultfromthispainfuleclaircissment，inthediscontinuanceofmycousin’sodiouspersecution。
　　WhenIarosenextmorning，itwaswiththeferventhopethatImightneveragainbeholdtheface，orevenhearthename，ofmycousinEdward；butsuchaconsummation，thoughdevoutlytobewished，washardlylikelytooccur。Thepainfulimpressionsofyesterdayweretoovividtobeatonceerased；andIcouldnothelpfeelingsomedimforebodingofcomingannoyanceandevil。
　　Toexpectonmycousin’spartanythinglikedelicacyorconsiderationforme，wasoutofthequestion。Isawthathehadsethisheartuponmyproperty，andthathewasnotlikelyeasilytoforegosuchanacquisition——possessingwhatmighthavebeenconsideredopportunitiesandfacilitiesalmosttocompelmycompliance。
　　Inowkeenlyfelttheunreasonablenessofmyfather’sconductinplacingmetoresidewithafamilyofallwhosemembers，withoneexception，hewaswhollyignorant，andIbitterlyfeltthehelplessnessofmysituation。Idetermined，however，incaseofmycousin’sperseveringinhisaddresses，tolayalltheparticularsbeforemyuncle，althoughhehadneverinkindnessorintimacygoneastepbeyondourfirstinterview，andtothrowmyselfuponhishospitalityandhissenseofhonourforprotectionagainstarepetitionofsuchscenes。
　　Mycousin’sconductmayappeartohavebeenaninadequatecauseforsuchseriousuneasiness；butmyalarmwascausedneitherbyhisactsnorwords，butentirelybyhismanner，whichwasstrangeandevenintimidatingtoexcess。Atthebeginningoftheyesterday’sinterviewtherewasasortofbullyingswaggerinhisair，whichtowardstheendgaveplacetothebrutalvehemenceofanundisguisedruffian——atransitionwhichhadtemptedmeintoabeliefthathemightseekevenforciblytoextortfrommeaconsenttohiswishes，orbymeansstillmorehorrible，ofwhichI
　　scarcelydaredtotrustmyselftothink，topossesshimselfofmyproperty。
　　Iwasearlynextdaysummonedtoattendmyuncleinhisprivateroom，whichlayinacornerturretoftheoldbuilding；andthitherIaccordinglywent，wonderingallthewaywhatthisunusualmeasuremightprelude。WhenIenteredtheroom，hedidnotriseinhisusualcourteouswaytogreetme，butsimplypointedtoachairoppositetohisown。Thisbodednothingagreeable。Isatdown，however，silentlywaitinguntilheshouldopentheconversation。
　　’LadyMargaret，’atlengthhesaid，inatoneofgreatersternnessthanIthoughthimcapableofusing，’Ihavehithertospokentoyouasafriend，butIhavenotforgottenthatIamalsoyourguardian，andthatmyauthorityassuchgivesmearighttocontrolyourconduct。Ishallputaquestiontoyou，andIexpectandwilldemandaplain，directanswer。HaveIrightlybeeninformedthatyouhavecon-
　　temptuouslyrejectedthesuitandhandofmysonEdward？’
　　Istammeredforthwithagooddealoftrepidation：
　　’Ibelieve——thatis，Ihave，sir，rejectedmycousin’sproposals；andmycoldnessanddiscouragementmighthaveconvincedhimthatIhaddeterminedtodoso。’
　　’Madam，’repliedhe，withsuppressed，but，asitappearedtome，intenseanger，’IhavelivedlongenoughtoknowthatCOLDNESSanddiscouragement，andsuchterms，formthecommoncantofaworthlesscoquette。Youknowtothefull，aswellasI，thatCOLDNESSANDDISCOURAGEMENT
　　maybesoexhibitedastoconvincetheirobjectthatheisneitherdistastefulorindifferenttothepersonwhowearsthismanner。Youknow，too，nonebetter，thatanaffectedneglect，whenskilfullymanaged，isamongstthemostformidableoftheengineswhichartfulbeautycanemploy。
　　Itellyou，madam，thathaving，withoutonewordspokenindiscouragement，permittedmyson’smostmarkedattentionsforatwelvemonthormore，youhavenorighttodismisshimwithnofurtherexplanationthandemurelytellinghimthatyouhadalwayslookedcoldlyuponhim；
　　andneitheryourwealthnoryourLADYSHIP’
　　therewasanemphasisofscornontheword，whichwouldhavebecomeSirGilesOverreachhimself’canwarrantyouintreatingwithcontempttheaffectionateregardofanhonestheart。’
　　Iwastoomuchshockedatthisundisguisedattempttobullymeintoanacquiescenceintheinterestedandunprincipledplanfortheirownaggrandisement，whichInowperceivedmyuncleandhissontohavedeliberatelyenteredinto，atoncetofindstrengthorcollectednesstoframeananswertowhathehadsaid。AtlengthI
　　replied，withsomefirmness：
　　’Inallthatyouhavejustnowsaid，sir，youhavegrosslymisstatedmyconductandmotives。Yourinformationmusthavebeenmostincorrectasfarasitregardsmyconducttowardsmycousin；mymannertowardshimcouldhaveconveyednothingbutdislike；andifanythingcouldhaveaddedtothestrongaversionwhichI
　　havelongfelttowardshim，itwouldbehisattemptingthustotrickandfrightenmeintoamarriagewhichheknowstoberevoltingtome，andwhichissoughtbyhimonlyasameansforsecuringtohimselfwhateverpropertyismine。’
　　AsIsaidthis，Ifixedmyeyesuponthoseofmyuncle，buthewastoooldintheworld’swaystofalterbeneaththegazeofmoresearchingeyesthanmine；hesimplysaid：
　　’Areyouacquaintedwiththeprovisionsofyourfather’swill？’
　　Iansweredintheaffirmative；andhecontinued：
　　’ThenyoumustbeawarethatifmysonEdwardwere——whichGodforbid——theunprincipled，recklessmanyoupretendtothinkhim’——herehespokeveryslowly，asifheintendedthateverywordwhichescapedhimshouldberegisteredinmymemory，whileatthesametimetheexpressionofhiscountenanceunderwentagradualbuthorriblechange，andtheeyeswhichhefixeduponmebecamesodarklyvivid，thatIalmostlostsightofeverythingelse——’ifhewerewhatyouhavedescribedhim，thinkyou，girl，hecouldfindnobriefermeansthanweddingcontractstogainhisends？’twasbuttogripeyourslenderneckuntilthebreathhadstopped，andlands，andlakes，andallwerehis。’
　　Istoodstaringathimformanyminutesafterhehadceasedtospeak，fascinatedbytheterribleserpent-likegaze，untilhecontinuedwithawelcomechangeofcountenance：
　　’Iwillnotspeakagaintoyouuponthis——topicuntilonemonthhaspassed。Youshallhavetimetoconsidertherelativeadvantagesofthetwocourseswhichareopentoyou。Ishouldbesorrytohurryyoutoadecision。Iamsatisfiedwithhavingstatedmyfeelingsuponthesubject，andpointedouttoyouthepathofduty。