Her
probing attention, however, he so entirely misunderstood that it gave him
no small encouragement; and thus becoming only the more eager after her
good opinion, he came at length to imagine himself heartily in love with
her--a thing impossible to him with any woman--and at last, emboldened by
the fancied importance of his position, and his own fancied distinction in
it, he ventured an offer of his feeble hand and feebler heart;--but only to
have them, to his surprise, definitely and absolutely refused. He turned
from the lady's door a good deal disappointed, but severely mortified;
and, judging it impossible for any woman to keep silence concerning such a
refusal, and unable to endure the thought of the gossip to ensue, he began
at once to look about him for a refuge, and frankly told his patron the
whole story. It happened to suit his grace's plans, and he came speedily to
his assistance with the offer of his native parish--whence the soutar's
argumentative antagonist had just been removed to a place, probably not a
very distinguished one, in the kingdom of heaven; and it seemed to all but
a natural piety when James Blatherwick exchanged his parish for that where
he was born, and where his father and mother continued to occupy the old
farm.
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