much irritation.

"Not quite that," replied she, in the same tone as before. "I meant if I
hadn't known you to be one of those good-natured people who speak before
they think."

Max sat up angrily.

"I have not spoken without thinking," said he, quickly. "I have done
nothing but think of you ever since I first saw you; and my asking you
to marry me is the outcome of my thinking."

"Well, if I were you, I should think to better purpose than that."

Her tone was rather puzzling to Max. There was mockery in it; but there
was something more. He came to the conclusion, after a moment's
consideration of it, and of the little that he could see of her face,
that she felt more than she chose to show. So he put his arm around her
and caught one of her hands.

"Look here, Carrie," said he in a whisper. "I understand you. I know how
you feel. I know you think it's neither decent nor wise to ask a girl to
be your wife when you've only seen her twice. But just consider the
circumstances. If I don't get you to say what I want you to say now, I
shall lose sight of you to-night and never see you again. Now, I
couldn't bear that--I couldn't, Carrie. I never saw a girl like you; I
never met one who made me feel as you make me feel. And you like me,
too. You wouldn't have troubled yourself about my going to the wharf if
you hadn't cared. It's no use denying that you like me."

Carrie turned upon him with energy.

"Well, I don't deny it, if you care to hear that," said she, quickly. "I
do like you. How could I help it? I liked you the moment I first saw
you; I shouldn't have spoken to you if I hadn't; I should have been
afraid. But what difference does that make? Do you think I'm a fool? Do
you think I don't know that this feeling you have--and I believe in it,
mind--is just because I'm a new sensation to you, who are a spoiled
child--nothing more nor less. Oh, don't let's talk about it; it's
silly."

She had wrenched herself impatiently away from him, and now sat upright,
frowning and looking straight in front of her as before.

Max, not finally rebuffed, but rather puzzled what to make of this form
of repulse, was silent for a few moments.

"Well, if you won't let me talk about that," he said at last, "will you
promise to let me know where you are going to, so that I shan't have to
lose sight of you? Come, you like me well enough to agree to that, don't
you?"

Carrie hesitated.

"I told you," she said at last, in a low v