And that she, the humblest of the humble, should be selected for so honourable a position! She had never quite known, quite understood as yet, whether she had made good her footing in her aunt's house in a manner pleasant to her aunt.

More than once or twice she had spoken even of going back to her mother, and things had been said which had almost made her think that her aunt had been angry with her.

But now, after a month or two of joint residence, her aunt was offering to her--two thousand pounds and a husband! But was it within her aunt's power to offer to her the husband?
Mr.
Gibson had always been very civil to her.

She had spoken more to Mr.
Gibson than to any other man in Exeter.

But it had never occurred to her for a moment that Mr.Gibson had any special liking for her.