m an insignificant
nobody, and you might marry anyone you liked. In every sense of the
word but one I am a wretched match for you, but love counts for
something, and you will never find anyone to love you more. I'd give my
very life to serve you, and I will give it, if you will trust yourself
to me! My father was no older than I am when he became engaged, and he
told me only the other day that he looked back on that hour as the
beginning of his success. He would be glad to see me engaged also."

"Have you spoken about me to him, then, as well as to your mother?" I
demanded testily. I felt so guilty about my own conduct that it was a
relief to be able to find fault with someone else, and I worked myself
up into quite a show of indignation. "You must have made very sure of
my answer to be ready to discuss me in such a general fashion. It would
have been more courteous to wait until you had my permission. You have
placed us both in a most awkward position, for, as I said before, I
could never marry you. It is quite impossible. I like you very much,
but not in that way. Let us be friends, and forget everything else. We
were so happy as we were--it is such a pity to spoil it all like this."

"Spoil it!" he repeated blankly. He had grown quite white while I was
speaking, and his eyes had a dazed, startled expression. "Does it spoil
things for you, Una, to know that I love you? But you have known that
for a long time--everyone in the house found it out, and you could not
have helped seeing it, too. You say I have made too sure of you.
Forgive me, darling, but if I have done so it is only because I know you
are too sweet and good to encourage a man when there was no hope. I am
more sorry than I can say if I have annoyed you by speaking to my
parents, but the mater naturally spoke to me when she saw how things
were going, and I had to consult my father about ways and means. Una,
darling, you don't mean it. You can't mean to break my heart after
leading me on all these weeks?"

"I never led you on!" I cried vainly. "I was only nice to you as I
would have been to anyone else. I knew you liked me; but everyone who
is kind and attentive does not want to marry one as a matter of course.
It would be horrid to expect it. Lorna is my friend, and you are her
brother, so of course--"

He looked me full in the face and said slowly--

"It will be difficult to believe--but if you will tell me just once
quite simp