be that i might hate and him all my life she had a suspicion that the old man regarded with anything but favour and intended these remarks to be extremely he did not appear however to regard them in that light by any means for when he spoke again it was in a tone of severity look about you he said pointing to the graves and remember that from your hour to the day which sees you brought as low as these and laid in such a bed there will be no appeal against him think and speak and act for once like an creature is any control put upon your inclinations are you forced into this match are you advised or tempted to contract it by any one i will not ask by whom by any one no said merry her shoulders i don t know that i am don t know that you are are you no replied merry nobody ever said anything to me about it if any one had tried to make me have him i wouldn t have had him at all i am told that he was at first supposed to be your sister s admirer said martin oh good gracious my dear mr it would be very hard to make him though he is a monster for other people s vanity said merry and poor dear cherry is the darling it was her mistake then i hope it was cried merry but au along the dear child has been so dreadfully jealous and so cross that upon my word and honour it s impossible to please her and it s of no use trying not forced persuaded or controlled said martin thoughtfully and that s true i see there is one chance yet you may have into this engagement in very it may have been the wanton act of a light head is that so my dear mr merry as to there never was such a feather of a head as mine it s a perfect i declare you never did you know he waited quietly till she had finished and then said martin steadily and slowly and ia a softened voice as if he would still invite her confidence have you any wish � or is there anything within your breast that whispers you may form the if you have time to think � to be released j m this engagement again miss merry and looked down and plucked the grass and shrugged her shoulders no she didn t know that she had she was pretty sure she hadn t quite sure she might say she didn t mind it has it ever occurred to you said martin that your married life may perhaps be miserable of bitterness and most unhappy looked down again and now she tore the grass up by the roots my dear mr what shocking words of i shall quarrel with him i should quarrel with any husband married people always quarrel i believe but as to being miserable and bitter and all those dreadful things you know why i couldn t be absolutely that unless he always had the best of it and i mean to have the best of it i always do now cried merry nodding her head and very much for i make a perfect slave of the creature let it go on said martin rising let it go on i sought to know your mind my dear and you have shown it me i wish you joy joy he repeated looking full upon her and pointing to tile gate where entered at the moment and then without waiting for his nephew he passed out at another gate and went away oh you terrible old man cried the merry to herself what a hideous monster to be wandering about in the broad daylight people oat of their wits don t come here or i go away directly mr was the he sat down upon the grass at her side in spite of this warning and inquired what s my uncle been a talking about about you rejoined merry he says you re not half good enough for me oh yes i dare say we all know that he to you some present worth having i hope did he say that looked like it that he didn t cried merry most vol i and of a old dog he is said well cried miss mercy in amazement what are you doing only giving you a squeeze said the there s no harm in that i suppose but there is a great deal of harm in it if i don t consider it agreeable returned his cousin do go along will you you make me so hot mr withdrew his arm and for a moment looked at her more like a murderer than a lover but he cleared his brow by degrees and broke silence with i say what do you say you vulgar thing � you low savage cried his fair when is it to be i can t to go on about here half my life i needn t tell you and says that father s being so lately dead makes very little odds for we can be married as quiet as we please down here and my being lonely is a good reason to the neighbours for taking a wife home so soon one that he knew as to my uncle i mean he s sure not to put a spoke in the wheel whatever we settle on for he told only this morning that if you liked it he d nothing at all to say so said venturing on another squeeze when shall it be upon my word cried merry upon my soul if you like said what do you say to next week now to next week if you had said next quarter i should have wondered at your impudence but 