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His mind was quite made up; and during the whole morning he had
been endeavouring to drive all disagreeable reminiscences of Miss
French from his memory, and to arrange the words with which he would
make his offer to Dorothy. He was aware that he need not be very
particular about his words, as Dorothy, from the bashfulness of her
nature, would be no judge of eloquence at such a time. But still, for
his own sake, there should be some form of expression, some propriety
of diction. Before eleven o'clock he had it all by heart, and had
nearly freed himself from the uneasiness of his falsehood to Arabella.
He had given much serious thought to the matter, and had quite resolved
that he was right in his purpose, and that he could marry Dorothy with
a pure conscience, and with a true promise of a husband's love. 'Dear
Dolly!' he said to himself, with something of enthusiasm as he walked
across the Close. And he looked up to the house as he came to it. There
was to be his future home. There was not one of the prebends who had a
better house.


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