Next morning he took leave of Mr. Middleton's family. When it came Fanny's
turn to bid him good-by, she noticed the absence of his accustomed
cordiality, and wondered much what she had done to displease him. That
night she wept herself to sleep thinking of it, while Julia, secretly
exulting in her sister's uneasiness, laughed at her for her foolishness,
and said, "It was probably a mere fancy, and even if it were not; what
matter was it? What did she care for Mr. Miller's good or bad opinion? She
mustn't expect everybody to pet and caress her just as her father did, who
was an old fool anyway, and petted her and her dogs alternately." This
kind of reasoning did not convince Fanny, and for many days her face wore
a sad, troubled expression.
Thus the winter passed away. Spring came, and with it came an offer to Mr.
Wilmot of a very lucrative situation as teacher in a school in Frankfort.
At first he hesitated about accepting it, for there was, in the old rough
stone house, an attraction far greater than the mere consideration of
dollars and cents. Julia at, last settled the matter, by requesting him to
accept the offer, and then urge her father to let her go to Frankfort to
school also.
"And why do you wish to go there, Julia?" said Mr. Wilmot, laying his hand
on her dark, glossy hair.
"Because," she answered, "it will be so lonely here when you are gone."
"And why will it be lonely, dearest Julia?" continued he.
"Oh," said she, looking up very innocently in his face, "you are the only
person who understands me; by all others, whatever I do or say is
construed into something bad. I wish you were my brother, for then I might
have been better than I am."
"Oh, I do not wish I was your brother," said Mr. Wilmot, "for then I could
never have claimed a dearer title, which I hope now to do at some future
time."
Then followed a declaration of love, which Julia had long waited most
anxiously for. Most eloquently did Mr. Wilmot pour out the whole tide of
his affection for the beautiful but sinful girl, who, in a very becoming
and appropriate manner, murmured an acknowledgment of requited love. Thus
the two were betrothed.
And truly it was a fitting time for such a betrothal. The air had been hot
and sultry all day, and now the sky was overspread with dark clouds, while
everything indicated an approaching storm. While Mr. Wilmot was yet
speaking, it burst upon them with great violence. Peal after peal of
thunder followed each other, in rapid succession, and just as Julia
whispered a promise to be Mr. Wilmot's forever, a blinding sheet of
lightning lit up for a moment her dark features, and was instantly
succeeded by a crash, which shook the whole house from its foundation, and
drew from Julia a cry of terror, which brought Fanny to see what was the
matter, and made Mr. Middleton swear, "Thar was noise enough from the
tempest outdoors, without the 'Tempest' in the house raising such a devil
of a fuss!"