in love with me you would never have asked me to marry you you would have considered the obstacles i am very much in love with you he vehemently his feelings getting the better of his pride for once however badly i may have expressed myself i am very much in love with you i have been for days was it because you felt obliged to ask me to marry you she inquired the delicate touch of spirit in her tone and words fired him to fresh admiration strange to say it suggested to him possibilities he had not suspected hitherto he drew nearer to her don t be too severe on me he said � quite humbly considering all things and he stretched out his hand as if to take hers but she drew it back smiling ever so do you think i don t know what the a obstacles are she said i will tell you my affection was strong enough to sweep them away he said or i should not be here she smiled slightly again i know all about them as well as you do she said i rather laughed at them at first but i don t now i suppose i m impressed by their seriousness as aunt says suppose they are pretty serious � to you nothing would be so serious to me as that you should let them interfere with my happiness he answered thrown back upon himself and bewildered by her logical manner let us forget them i was a fool to speak as i did won t you answer my question she paused a second and then answered � you didn t expect to ask me to marry you she said and i didn t expect you to � but now � he broke in impatiently now � i wish you hadn t done it � � you wish � somebody else you don t want m� she said you want somebody � somebody who would respect you very much and obey i m not used to obeying people do you mean also that you would not respect me he inquired bitterly oh she replied you haven t respected me much i excuse me � he began in his manner you didn t respect me enough to think me worth marrying she said i was not the kind of girl you would have chosen of your own will you are treating me i he cried you were going to give me a great deal i suppose � looking at it in your way she went on but if i exactly what you wanted i had something to give too i m young enough to have a good many years to live and i should have to live them with you if i married you that s something you know he rose from his seat pale with wrath and wounded feeling a does this mean that you refuse me he demanded that your answer is no she rose too � not not confused neither pale nor flushed he had never seen her prettier more charming or more natural it would have been no even if there hadn t been any obstacle she answered then he said i need say no more i see that i have � myself in vain and it is rather bitter i must confess it wasn t my fault she remarked he stepped back with a haughty wave of the hand that she should pass out of the before him she did so but just as she reached the entrance she turned and stood for a second framed in by the swinging vines and their blossoms there s another reason why it should be no she said i suppose i may as well tell you of it i m engaged to somebody � ul chapter xxvi jack thb first person they saw thej reached the lawn was mr who had to present himself and was talking to mr and miss i ll go to them said aunt will wonder where i have been but before they reached the group they were by lord and had the pleasure of his charge and watching her with some rather sharp pangs as she was borne off to the what is tho matter with mr exclaimed miss pray look at him he been talking to miss in one of the put in and i d a them a few minutes ago and they were so absorbed that they did not see us there k no knowing what has happened mrs in stem reproof of such but the next moment she exchanged a glance with miss do you think � she suggested is it possible � it really looks very like it said miss though it is scarcely to be see how pale and angry he looks mrs glanced toward him and then a slight smile illuminated her countenance how furious she remarked cheerfully how furious lady will be i naturally it was not very long before the attention of numerous other ladies was directed to mr francis it was observed that he took no share in the that he did not regain his natural air of indifference to his surroundings � that he did not approach until au was and she was on the point jack s s of going home what he said to her then no one heard i am to london to morrow good by she answered holding out her hand to him then she added quickly in an under tone you t to think badly of me you won t after a while as they drove homeward she was rather silent and miss remarked it i am afraid you are tired she said it is a pity that martin should come and find you tired oh i m not tired i was only � thinking it has been a queer day a queer day my dear ejaculated miss 