Now, therefore, she thought that she had a right to require of others the same control over themselves which she had exercised herself:  it had not been impossible to her, and it ought not to be impossible to them.  With this feeling she began the conversation with her husband; and she entered upon it the more openly and easily, from a sense that the question must now, once for all, be decisively set at rest.

“Our friend has left us,” she said; “we are now once more together as we were—­and it depends upon ourselves whether we choose to return altogether into our old position.”

Edward, who heard nothing except what flattered his own passion, believed that Charlotte, in these words, was alluding to her previous widowed state, and, in a roundabout way, was making a suggestion for a separation; so that he answered, with a laugh, “Why not? all we want is to come to an understanding.”  But he found himself sorely enough undeceived, as Charlotte continued, “And we have now a choice of opportunities for placing Ottilie in another situation.  Two openings have offered themselves for her, either of which will do very well.  Either she can return to the school, as my daughter has left it and is with her great-aunt; or she can be received into a desirable family, where, as the companion of an only child, she will enjoy all the advantages of a solid education.”

Edward, with a tolerably successful effort at commanding himself, replied, “Ottilie has been so much spoilt, by living so long with us here, that she will scarcely like to leave us now.”

“We have all of us been too much spoilt,” said Charlotte; “and yourself not least.  This is an epoch which requires us seriously to bethink ourselves.  It is a solemn warning to us to consider what is really for the good of all the members of our little circle—­and we ourselves must not be afraid of making sacrifices.”

“At any rate I cannot see that it is right that Ottilie should be made a sacrifice,” replied Edward; “and that would be the case if we were now to allow her to be sent away among strangers.  The Captain’s good genius has sought him out here—­we can feel easy, we can feel happy, at seeing him leave us; but who can tell what may be before Ottilie?  There is no occasion for haste.”

“What is before us is sufficiently clear,” Charlotte answered, with some emotion; and as she was determined to have it all out at once, she went on:  “You love Ottilie; every day you are becoming more attached to her.  A reciprocal feeling is rising on her side as well, and feeding itself in the same way.  Why should we not acknowledge in words what every hour makes obvious? and are we not to have the common prudence to ask ourselves in what it is to end?”

“We may not be able to find an answer on the moment,” replied Edward, collecting himself; “but so much may be said, that if we cannot exactly tell what will come of it, we may resign ourselves to wait and see what the future may tell us about it.”