The record-union., 1898-10-23
A PROPOSAL OF TO-DAY.

For some time" observed Mr.. Mark
ham, Il have been beset by the idea
| of proposing to YOU"
| He was standing with his excellently
fiat back to the mantelpiece, and Miss
Greatorex was covering silk ban
danna handkerchief with an opposition
pattern in colored wools-why, Mr..
Markham could not make out. There
/ was no one else in the room, and, as
was evident, the gentleman was dis
posed to be confidential.
/ Miss Greatorex smiled. tt
| And why have you not?"
| Il have at times been half afraid
that you might accept replied the can
did young man. AT others he added
| (thoughtfully removing an almost in
visible speck from his sleeve), Il have
been much perturbed by the possibility
oh! certainly the possibility-that you
might refuse
TT would be disagreeable to be re-
| fused" remarked the lady, imperson-
ally
That" the gentleman considered,
depends. If I was sure I wanted to
marry you, it would unquestionably be
disagreeable to be refused
And you are not sure?"
| mo; very far indeed, from being SO.
At times I think I should much enjoy
the role of Mr.. GreatOrex, so to speak"
But not always"
! "Oh, dear no!-not nearly always"
Miss Greatorex had a canary, which
at this juncture began to sing with an
air of the most uncomfortable merri-
| ment Mr.. Markham went to a neigh
boring drawer and produced thence a
cloth, with which he covered the cage.
| You are not sure whether you are
In love with me or no?" remarked the
young lady, as the birds indignant 81
lence succeeded to his previous irrele-
want rhapsody.
| Mr.. Markham came back 70 the man
| telpiece, and. having adjusted his back,
| he said in a low voice, and looking
down at the very adjacent brown, bent
head:
| L admit I am disappointed"
She looked up rather quickly.
Bitterly. 1 had no idea that you
| could be stupid-it is evidently pos
| sible''
From the motion of Miss Greatorex
her head as they would say in the old
] OoOfAS- lIUpllSu d note lOISrrOSa-
ton.
1T is stupid not to have grasped the
question. have for quite long time
known that 1 was in love with you"
Ever since luncheon?'
| Perhaps not quite SO long as that
But certainly ever since, almost ever
since, Lady Greatorex left the ROOM"
! The young lady laughed.
| Was my mother such an instance
OF George Eliot's malign prophet stand
ing behind her daughter and threaten
ing what she Will be?''
L merely meant that the presence of
a chaperon is incompatible with senti-
ment."
j., observed the young woman, "do
not mind admitting that l am getting
confused. You now assert that for
more than twenty minutes you have
adored me (Mr. Markham's shoulders
appeared to deprecate the exaggeration
/ Oh this rhetoric), and a moment ago you
seemed much to doubt your love"
Not at all. That is why 1 lately call
ed you stupid. l am sure that l am in
love; but l am very uncertain as to
whether l would like to marry the be-
loved object"
| Miss Greatorex laughed.
ADMIT IT sounds, perhaps Improper
l merely mean that marriage as the
necessary denouement of being what
| is called in love seems to me quite a
doubtful expedient.
When there is no question of being
| IN love- he continued, relaxing himself
| by short walk to the other end of
| the room and back, Il think marriages
not bad arrangement 1t is then
merely form Of business partners.1i
and now that it has ceased to be in
soluble has no special terrors Dut
you and have nothing to gain by
! that. am exceedingly we'll off, so are
| you. do not need to marry for DO
sltion, nor do you. We neither of Us
need to demand blood like Hamiet's
aunt. In fine, as they say in the
Arabian Nights you have nothing to
gain by me, and l have no material
need of anything you can supply me.
Markham is just as fine a place as
Greatorex Abbey, and not a bit finer
When l speak Of being in love 1t is
purely personal sensation 1 should
like it to become chronic l really en-
joy being in love. But if we got mar
ried."
You cannot anticipate your love
standing that crucial test?''
Il honestly admit that l have nv
doubts. We live in a straightforward
age; let me make a clean breast of
| them. Do you, for instance, like to talk
at breakfast"
Not always"
Il, never. If you were licensed by
the ceremony of Maria m ip,,p,3ofa
me with matutinal conversation.
should be rendered at once miserable.
A feeling of decency would prevent my
showing it; l should suppress it. That
suppression would at once destroy all
openness between US"
You take, think, interrupted Miss
Greatorex, "a morbid view of the duty
of conjugal confidence. You would push
it too far"
My views are always high. Per
haps I do; but that is how it strikes
me. Every morning 1 should join you
at the breakfast table with the I'M
spoken terror that you were about to
converse. I think it possible that you
also like to talk in the train and in
cabs?"
Miss Greatorex asserted that such
was indeed the case; Mr.. Markham sat
down on a chair at some little dis
lance.
Exactly. And to talk in the train
only makes me less passionately angry
than having to speak to anybody, above
all to answer their questions, in
cab"
"Of course remarked the young
lady, wishing to allay the anxiety Of