e
girl did not love him, but he had believed that he could persuade her to
marry him. Now her pointblank refusal completely staggered him.

"Why not, Miss Grey?" was all he could say at first.

"Because, Mr. Sheppard, I really much prefer not to marry you."

"There is not any one else?" he asked, his face for the first time
showing emotion and anger.

The faint light of a melancholy smile crossed Minola's face. He grew
more angry.

"Miss Grey--now, you must tell me that! I have a right to ask--yes: and
your people would expect me to ask. You must tell me _that_."

"Well," she said, "if you force me to it, and if you will have an
answer, I must give you one, Mr. Sheppard. I have a lover already, and I
mean to keep him."

Mr. Sheppard was positively shocked by the suddenness and coolness of
this revelation. He recovered himself, however, and took refuge in
unbelief.

"Miss Grey, you don't mean it, I know--I can't believe it. Why, I have
known you and seen you grow up since you were a child. Mrs. Saulsbury
couldn't but know----"

"Mrs. Saulsbury knows nothing of me: we know nothing of each other. I
_have_ a lover, Mr. Sheppard, for all that. Do you want to know his
name?"

"I should like to know his name, certainly," the breathless Sheppard
stammered out.

"His name is Alceste----"

"A Frenchman!" Sheppard was aghast.

"A Frenchman truly--a French gentleman--a man of truth and courage and
spirit and honor and everything good. A man who wouldn't tell a lie or
do a mean thing, or flatter a silly woman, or persecute a very unhappy
girl--no, not to save his soul, Mr. Sheppard. Do you happen to know any
such man?"

"No such man lives in Keeton." He was surprised into simple earnestness.
"At least I don't know of any such man."

"No; you and he are not likely to come together and be very familiar.
Well, Mr. Sheppard, that is the man to whom I am engaged, and I mean to
keep my engagement. You can tell Mrs. Saulsbury if you like."

"But you haven't told me his other name."

"Oh--I don't know his other name."

"Miss Grey! Don't know his other name?"

"No: and I don't think he has any other name. He has but the one name
for me, and I don't want any second."

"Where does he live, then--may I ask?"

"Oh, yes--I may as well tell you all now, since I have told you so much.
He only lives in a book, Mr. Sheppard; in what you would call a play,"
she added with contemptuous expression.

"Oh, come now--I though