第84章

I am in an awkward position; for while I am not good enough to be the wife of one of the gentlemen of the garri-son, I think even you will admit, Jasper, I am too good to be the wife of one of the common soldiers."As Mabel spoke thus frankly she blushed, she knew not why, though the obscurity concealed the fact from her companion; and she laughed faintly, like one who felt that the subject, however embarrassing it might be, de-served to be treated fairly.Jasper, it would seem, viewed her position differently from herself.

"It is true Mabel," said he, "you are not what is cafle~a lady, in the common meaning of the word.""Not in any meaning, Jasper," the generous girl eagerly interrupted: "on that head, I have no vanities, I hope.

Providence has made me the daughter of a sergeant, and Iam content to remain in the station in which I was born.""But all do not remain in the stations in which they were born, Mabel; for some rise above them, and some fall below them.Many sergeants have become officers -- even generals; and why may not sergeants' daughters become officers' ladies?""In the case of Sergeant Dunham's daughter, I know no better reason than the fact that no officer is likely to wish to make her his wife," returned Mabel, laughing.

"_You_ may think so; but there are some in the 55th that know better.There is certainly one officer in that regi-ment, Mabel, who does wish to make you his wife."Quick as the flashing lightning, the rapid thoughts of Mabel Dunham glanced over the five or six subalterns of the corps, who, by age and inclinations, would be the most likely to form such a wish; and we should do injustice to her habits, perhaps, were we not to say that a lively sensa-tion of pleasure rose momentarily in her bosom, at the thought of being raised above a station which, whatever might be her professions of contentment, she felt that she had been too well educated to fill with perfect satisfaction.

But this emotion was as transient as it was sudden; for Mabel Dunham was a girl of too much pure and womanly feeling to view the marriage tie through anything so worldly as the mere advantages of station.The passing emotion was a thrill produced by factitious habits, while the more settled opinion which remained was the offspring of nature and principles.

"I know no officer in the 55th, or any other regiment, who would be likely to do so foolish a thing; nor do Ithink I myself would do so foolish a thing as to marry an officer.""Foolish, Mabel!"

"Yes, foolish, Jasper.You know, as well as I can know, what the world would think of such matters; and I should be sorry, very sorry, to find that my husband ever regretted that he had so far yielded to a fancy for a face or a figure as to have married the daughter of one so much his in-ferior as a sergeant."

"_Your_ husband, Mabel, will not be so likely to think of the father as to think of the daughter."The girl was talking with spirit, though feeling evidently entered into her part of the discourse; but she paused for nearly a minute after Jasper had made the last observa-tion before she uttered another word.Then she con-tinued, in a manner less playful, and one critically atten-tive might have fancied in a manner slightly melan-choly, --

"Parent and child ought so to live as not to have two hearts, or two modes of feeling and thinking.A common interest in all things I should think as necessary to happi-ness in man and wife, as between the other members of the same family.Most of all, ought neither the man nor the woman to have any unusual cause for unhappiness, the world furnishing so many of itself.""Am I to understand, then, Mabel, you would refuse to marry an officer, merely because he was an officer?""Have you a right to ask such a question, Jasper?" said Mabel smiling.

"No other right than what a strong desire to see you happy can give, which, after all, may be very little.My anxiety has been increased, from happening to know that it is your father's intention to persuade you to marry Lieutenant Muir.""My dear, dear father can entertain no notion so ridicu-lous -- no notion so cruel!"