Elizabeth shook her head, and would probably have remained obdurate, had he not laid his hand upon hers, and added—
"Remember, I knew your father so well, my dear young lady; I am so very sure of what his wishes would have been in such a case. I do not ask what your motives are for taking this extraordinary step. But since you are resolved to take it, let it be done so as to give as little cause for scandal as possible. If you dismiss your maid now, what will be the result? She will return to Farley, and the news of your going abroad by yourself will be all over the county in a week. In Paris it will be easy to devise some pretext for dismissing her, with a handsome present. Her boxes can be sent from Farley here, so that she need not return there, and be tempted to gossip."
"Very well"—Elizabeth was always rapid in her decisions—"to satisfy you, I will take the girl with me, and keep her until I have decided where I will live. I shall then send her home, and no one but you must know where I am. I shall let the girl believe that I am going to travel with friends. And if I promise to write to you once a month, Mr. Twisden, you, on your part, must promise to divulge my address to no one?"
A smile flitted across his face. "You have me in such a corner, I have no choice in the matter. I must submit to your conditions, I see, or not hear from you at all."
"Yes; you must submit to my conditions, because I wish to be independent of every one."
"But is there no alternative to this sudden resolve of yours? An excellent, high-principled, and able young
