"Wait here a minute or two. I am going to look out an engraving which

Fred is tall enough to hang for me. I shall be back in a few minutes."

And then he went out. Nevertheless, the first word Fred said to Mary

was--

"It is of no use, whatever I do, Mary. You are sure to marry

Farebrother at last." There was some rage in his tone.

"What do you mean, Fred?" Mary exclaimed indignantly, blushing deeply,

and surprised out of all her readiness in reply.

"It is impossible that you should not see it all clearly enough--you

who see everything."

"I only see that you are behaving very ill, Fred, in speaking so of Mr.

Farebrother after he has pleaded your cause in every way. How can you

have taken up such an idea?"

Fred was rather deep, in spite of his irritation. If Mary had really

been unsuspicious, there was no good in telling her what Mrs. Garth had

said.

"It follows as a matter of course," he replied. "When you are

continually seeing a man who beats me in everything, and whom you set

up above everybody, I can have no fair chance."

"You are very ungrateful, Fred," said Mary. "I wish I had never told

Mr. Farebrother that I cared for you in the least."

"No, I am not ungrateful; I should be the happiest fellow in the world

if it were not for this. I told your father everything, and he was

very kind; he treated me as if I were his son. I could go at the work

with a will, writing and everything, if it were not for this."

"For this? for what?" said Mary, imagining now that something specific

must have been said or done.

"This dreadful certainty that I shall be bowled out by Farebrother."

Mary was appeased by her inclination to laugh.

"Fred," she said, peeping round to catch his eyes, which were sulkily

turned away from her, "you are too delightfully ridiculous. If you

were not such a charming simpleton, what a temptation this would be to

play the wicked coquette, and let you suppose that somebody besides you

has made love to me."

"Do you really like me best, Mary?" said Fred, turning eyes full of

affection on her, and trying to take her hand.

"I don't like you at all at this moment," said Mary, retreating, and

putting her hands behind her. "I only said that no mortal ever made

love to me besides you. And that is no argument that a very wise man

ever will," she ended, merrily.

"I wish you would tell me that you could not possibly ever think of

him," said Fred.




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