sent
on such an errand as this."

"To hear you talk, Mary, one would think that you were going to
Silverbridge yourself."

"Perhaps I am."

"If I did not go with you, some of the other fellows would. John, or
George--"

"Good gracious, Frank! Fancy either of the Mr de Courcys walking home
with me!"

She had forgotten herself, and the strict propriety on which she had
resolved, in the impossibility of forgoing her little joke against
the de Courcy grandeur; she had forgotten herself, and had called
him Frank in her old, former, eager, free tone of voice; and then,
remembering she had done so, she drew herself up, but her lips, and
determined to be doubly on her guard in the future.

"Well, it shall be either one of them or I," said Frank: "perhaps you
would prefer my cousin George to me?"

"I should prefer Janet to either, seeing that with her I should not
suffer the extreme nuisance of knowing that I was a bore."

"A bore! Mary, to me?"

"Yes, Mr Gresham, a bore to you. Having to walk home through the mud
with village young ladies is boring. All gentlemen feel it to be so."

"There is no mud; if there were you would not be allowed to walk at
all."

"Oh! village young ladies never care for such things, though
fashionable gentlemen do."

"I would carry you home, Mary, if it would do you a service," said
Frank, with considerable pathos in his voice.

"Oh, dear me! pray do not, Mr Gresham. I should not like it at all,"
said she: "a wheelbarrow would be preferable to that."

"Of course. Anything would be preferable to my arm, I know."

"Certainly; anything in the way of a conveyance. If I were to act
baby; and you were to act nurse, it really would not be comfortable
for either of us."

Frank Gresham felt disconcerted, though he hardly knew why. He was
striving to say something tender to his lady-love; but every word
that he spoke she turned into joke. Mary did not answer him coldly
or unkindly; but, nevertheless, he was displeased. One does not like
to have one's little offerings of sentimental service turned into
burlesque when one is in love in earnest. Mary's jokes had appeared
so easy too; they seemed to come from a heart so little troubled.
This, also, was cause of vexation to Frank. If he could but have
known all, he would, perhaps, have been better pleased.

He determined not to be absolutely laughed out of his tenderness.
When, three days ago, he had been repulsed, he had gone away owning
to