"

"I shall marry you--never! Mr. Carruthers," I said, "unless I get into an
old maid soon and no one else asks me! Then if you go on your knees I may
put out the tip of my fingers, perhaps!" and I moved towards the door,
making him a sweeping and polite courtesy.

He rushed after me.

"Evangeline!" he exclaimed. "I am not a violent man as a rule; indeed, I
am rather cool, but you would drive any one perfectly mad. Some day some
one will strangle you--witch!"

"Then I had better run away to save my neck," I said, laughing over my
shoulder as I opened the door and ran up the stairs, and I peeped at him
from the landing above. He had come out into the hall. "Good-bye," I
called, and, without waiting to see Lady Ver, he tramped down the stairs
and away.

"Evangeline, what _have_ you been doing?" she asked, when I got into her
room, where her maid was settling her veil before the glass, and trembling
over it. Lady Ver is sometimes fractious with her--worse than I am with
Veronique, far.

"Evangeline, you look naughtier than ever--confess at once."

"I have been as good as gold," I said.

"Then why are those two emeralds sparkling so, may one ask?"

"They are sparkling with conscious virtue," I said, demurely.

"You have quarrelled with Mr. Carruthers--go away, Welby! Stupid woman,
can't you see it catches my nose!"

Welby retired meekly. (After she is cross, Lady Ver sends Welby to the
theatre. Welby adores her.)

"Evangeline, how dare you! I see it all. I gathered bits from Robert. You
have quarrelled with the very man you must marry!"

"What does Lord Robert know about me?" I said. That made me angry.

"Nothing; he only said Mr. Carruthers admired you at Branches."

"Oh!"

"He is too attractive--Christopher! He is one of the 'married women's
pets,' as Ada Fairfax says, and has never spoken to a girl before. You
ought to be grateful we have let him look at you--minx!--instead of
quarrelling, as I can see you have." She rippled with laughter, while she
pretended to scold me.

"Surely I may be allowed that chastened diversion!" I said. "I can't go to
theatres!"

"Tell me about it," she commanded, tapping her foot.

But early in Mrs. Carruthers's days I learned that one is wiser when one
keeps one's own affairs to one's self, so I fenced a little, and laughed,
and we went out to drive finally, without her being any the wiser. Going
into the park, we came upon a troop of the 3d Life Guards, who had been