Chamberss Edinburgh Journal, No. 452 | Page 5

the present instance, Major
Elliott's proclivity to fall in love with Frances may have been aided by
his persuasion that she was the niece of his friend. Be that as it may, on
the thirteenth day of his visit, Major Elliott invited his host to join him
in a walk, in the course of which he avowed his intention of offering
his hand to Miss Gaskoin, provided her family were not likely to make
any serious objection to the match. 'My reason for mentioning the
subject so early is,' said he, 'that, in the first place, I cannot prolong my
visit; I have already broken two engagements, and now, however
unwillingly, I must be off: and, in the second place, I felt myself bound
to mention the subject to you before speaking to Miss Gaskoin, because
you know how I am situated in regard to money-matters; and that I
cannot, unfortunately, make such a settlement as may be expected by
her friends.'
'I don't think that will be any obstacle to your wishes,' answered Mr
Gaskoin, with an arch smile. 'If you can find Fanny in the humour, I'll
undertake to answer for all the rest. As for her fortune, she'll have
something at all events--but that is a subject, I suppose, you are too
much in love to discuss.'
'It is one there is no use in discussing till I am accepted,' returned Major
Elliott; 'and I confess that is a point I am too anxious about to think of
any other.'
'Prepare yourself,' said Mrs Gaskoin to Frances: 'Major Elliott has

declared himself to my husband, and will doubtless take an opportunity
of speaking to you in the course of the evening. Of course, now the
truth must be disclosed, and I've no doubt it will be a very agreeable
surprise to him.'
When the tea-things were removed, and Frances, as usual, was seated at
the pianoforte, and Major Elliott, as usual, turning over the leaves of
her music-book, she almost lost her breath with agitation when the
gentle closing of a door aroused her to the fact, that they were alone.
Mr and Mrs Gaskoin had quietly slipped out of the room; and
conscious that the critical moment was come, she was making a
nervous attempt to follow them, when a hand was laid on hers, and----
But it is quite needless to enter into the particulars: such scenes do not
bear relating. Major Elliott said something, and looked a thousand
things; Frances blushed and smiled, and then she wept, avowing that
her tears were tears of joy; and so engrossed was she with the happiness
of the moment, that she had actually forgotten the false colours under
which she was appearing, till her lover said: 'I have already, my dear
Fanny, spoken on this subject to your uncle.'
'Now, then, for the dénouement!' thought Frances; but she had formed a
little scheme for bringing this about, which she forthwith proceeded to
put in execution.
'But, dear Henry,' she said, as, seated on the sofa hand in hand, they
dilated on their present happiness and future plans--'dear Henry, there
is one thing that has rather perplexed me, and does perplex me still, a
little--do you know, I have been told you were engaged?'
'Indeed! Who told you that?'
'Well, I don't know; but I'm sure I heard it. It was said that you were
engaged to Miss Seymour--the Miss Seymour that lives with Mrs
Wentworth'----
'Do you know her?' inquired Major Elliott, interrupting her.
'Yes, I do--a little.'

'Only a little?'
'Well, perhaps I may say I know her pretty well. Indeed, to confess the
truth, I'm rather intimate with her.'
'That is extremely fortunate,' returned Major Elliott.
'Then you don't deny the engagement?' said Frances.
'Colonel Seymour, who was my father's friend and mine, very kindly
expressed a wish, before he died, that, provided there was no objection
on either side, his daughter and I should be married; but you see, my
dearest Fanny, as there happens to be an objection on both sides, the
scheme, however well meant, is defeated.'
'On both sides!' reiterated Frances with surprise.
'Yes; on both sides,' answered he smiling.
'But how do you know that, when you've never seen Miss Seymour--at
least I thought you never had?'
'Neither have I; but I happen to know that she has not the slightest
intention of taking me for her husband.'
'Oh,' said Frances, laughing at the recollection of her own violent
antipathy to this irresistible man, who, after all, had taken her heart by
storm--'I suppose you have somehow heard that she disliked the idea of
being trammelled by an engagement to a person she never saw, and
whom she had made up her mind she could not love; but remember,
Henry, she has