listen to me, a few words between us would set it all straight and square at once."

It suddenly occurred to me that this might be the better plan, after all; that if I spoke out my mind as plainly and disagreeably as I could to Mr. Duchesne, once and for all, there might be an end to the whole thing. I moved away from the door and sat down, folding my my hands on my lap, my lap, and looking fixedly at him. He came and sat before me; but having got me into this position, Mr. Duchesne dropped the confident and somewhat bullying manner he had been using, and assumed the humble lover again;-a rôle that seemed much less natural to him to play than the other. After looking at each other for a few seconds, in silence,——

"Why did you want to run away from me?" he said; "and why are you always so proud and cold to me? It's cruel, miss, to a man who loves you as much as I do."

Now, in the last year, this word “love,” which I had often before used lightly enough myself, had become very sacred to me; and to hear it from the mouth of Mr. Duchesne seemed utter desecration. His attempt, too, at réproachful tenderness was a hideous burlesque that I could not stand, and determined to put a stop to it at once.

"In truth, then," I said, "because I don't like your society, Mr. Duchesne. If, however, you would refrain from forcing it on me, as you do, I would receive as much of it as our acquaintance renders necessary, with courtesy."

This was very plain and truthful speaking. Mr. Duchesne went back to his former man

ner immediately.

"You an' me should want to understand each other clearly about this, miss,” he said; "an' that's why I wished to speak to you by yerself to-day."

"To understand each other clearly!" I repeated; "if we do not, that is quite your fault, sir, for I understand you thoroughly; and, certainly, I have tried to make you understand me. I have not disguised my feelings towards you, Mr. Duchesne, now or ever."

“That's because you don't see this matter in a right light," said Mr. Duchesne, persistently. "Now, I looked to Sir John an' the others to make it plain to you, an' square things between us; but it don't seem as they're doing it."

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Doing what?" I said; determined now to have a few very straightforward words with Mr. Duchesne, and put the "matter" in a most unmistakable "light" before him.

"Why,” he replied, “about your marryin' me; to get you to see as it's just the best thing as you could do.”

"That," I said, "is not in my uncle's power

to do, or in your's, or in any one else's. I have told him in your presence, Mr. Duchesne, and now I tell you yourself, that I will not marry you, now or ever! It is no use your thinking I will; or that anything that he or any one can do can ever make me. I will not marry you. Take that answer now, once and for all; and spare yourself further trouble, and me further annoyance, on the subject." And I rose to leave the room. But again Mr. Duchesne placed himself in of my exit.

the way

about to disregard the request, and push past him, he caught me by the wrist, closing his fat fingers round it with a grip that was wonderfully tight, considering the flabby ture of their composition.

Any little equanimity that I may have been able to preserve heretofore, now vanished entirely.

"Mr. Duchesne!" I cried.

"Let me go;

instantly, sir! I will not talk with you any more. Let me go at once."

"I will if you'll jest stand still an' listen to me like a sensible girl."

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I could make you let me go if I chose," I said, feeling a most unladylike desire to inflict some injury on the countenance of Mr. Duchesne with my disengaged right hand; "but I'd rather do things quietly. Let me go, and say what you have to say at once, and have done with it; you are only wasting your time entirely, I tell you."

Thus adjured, Mr. Duchesne released me; but still kept himself placed as a barrier to my exit.

"You see," he said, "you haven't a right notion of this thing at all, miss."

"Yes, I have," I said. "I don't like you, and I won't marry you. That's my notion, and I think it quite the right one."

VOL. II.

E