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He appeared to be extraordinarily good-looking as he stood there, his face to the dying light Supposing I took hied your ideas since yesterday? You told me you had come down to make it clear to me that you could not possibly obey her orders"

"That was yesterday," he said "I had not really seen you--to-day I think differently"

"It is just because you are sorry for me; I suppose I seem so lonely," I whispered, demurely

"It is perfectly io and live by yourself at a London hotel--the idea drives htful--no one to orderhimself into an arm-chair "You can marry me, and I will take you to Paris, or where you want, and I won't order you about--only I shall keep the other beasts ofat you"

But I told hiht that would be very dull "I have never had the chance of any one looking at me," I said, "and I want to feel what it is like Mrs Carruthers always assured me I was very pretty, you know, only she said that I was certain to coot married at once, and then if ree with her"

He walked up and down the room impatiently

"That is just it," he said "I would rather be the first--I would rather you began by h to ward off the rest"

"What does 'beginning by you' reat candor "Old Lord Bentworth said I should begin with him, when he was here to shoot pheasants last autumn; he said it could not matter, he was so old; but I didn't----"

Mr Carruthers bounded up from his chair

"You didn't what! Good Lord! what did he want you to do?" he asked, aghast

"Well," I said, and I looked down for a moment; I felt stupidly shy "He wanted me to kiss hie

"The old wretch! Nice company my aunt seems to have kept!" he exclaimed "Could she not take better care of you than that--to let you be insulted by her guests?"