"Tell me, what ails you, Thomas?" Mary urged, taking his hand affectionately.
"I have been to see Margaretta," the brother at length replied, in as calm a voice as he could assume.
"And she has not, surely, declined your offer?"
"She has, and with what appeared to me an intimation that I loved her money, perhaps, better than herself."
"Surely not, brother!"
"To me it seemed so. Certainly she treated lightly my declaration, and almost jested with me."
The sister stood silent for some moments, and then said—
"The woman who could thus jest with you, Thomas, is unworthy of you."
"So I am trying to convince myself. But the trial is a deeply painful one."
And painful it proved for many weeks afterwards. But, finally, he was enabled to rise above his feelings.