"Of course not," was my vigorous disclaimer; and by this time we had
arrived at my aunt's door, and it was time to say good-night.

"What's the matter, Kate?" exclaimed Mrs. Lumley, when I called to
lunch with her the following day, according to promise. "You look pale
and worried. For goodness' sake tell me what has happened. Have you
found out _the rover_ transferring his adoration to Miss Molasses? or
did _mon cousin_ take advantage of the hour and the opportunity to
lecture us last night on our love of admiration and general levity of
conduct? Tell me all about it, dear. We shan't be disturbed. I'm not
'at home' to a soul; and my old man is busy dissecting an earwig, so
he's quite safe till dinner-time. Sit you down on the sofa, out with
your pocket-handkerchief, and make a clean breast of it!"

I told her the whole of my conversation with my cousin the previous
night, only suppressing the unflattering opinions he had thought fit
to express of my present _confidante_. "And oh, Mrs. Lumley," I
exclaimed as I concluded, "how could I sleep a wink last night, with
all this to harass and reproach me? No wonder I'm pale and worried and
perfectly miserable. I feel I'm behaving shamefully to John, and not
at all rightly towards Captain Lovell. I know I ought to come to an
understanding with my cousin, and that Frank ought to be more explicit
with me. I couldn't have given a decided answer last night if my life
had depended on it. I can't give up the one without knowing exactly
whether he means honestly (if I thought he did, Mrs. Lumley, nothing
should induce me to throw him over); and I don't like to make the
other miserable, which I am sure I should do if I refused him
point-blank; nor do I think I could do at all well without him,
accustomed as I have been to depend upon him for everything from
childhood. So I have wavered and prevaricated, and behaved
disingenuously, almost falsely; and what must he think of me now?"

"Think of you, my dear?" replied my worldly friend; "why, of course,
he thinks of you more than ever. There is nothing like uncertainty,
Kate, to keep them well up to the collar. You should always treat men
like the beasts of the field. If you want to retain the upper hand of
him, ride an adorer as you do Brilliant, my dear--a light hand, with
just enough liberty to make him fancy he is going quite at his ease;
and then, when he is getting a little careless and least expects it,
give him such a jerk as