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set　little　face　all　the　color　he　had　missed。　　Partially　relieved　by

her　unconcern；　and　yet　mortified　that　he　had　only　provoked　her

sense　of　the　ludicrous；　he　tried　to　laugh　also。



〃Then；　to　be　quite　plain；〃　said　Louise；　wiping　her　now　humid　eyes；

〃you　want　me　to　understand　that　you　really　didn't　pay　sufficient

attention　to　hear　correctly！　　Thank　you；　that's　a　pretty　English

compliment；　I　suppose。〃



〃I　dare　say　you　wouldn't　call　it　'philandering'？〃



〃I　certainly　shouldn't；　for　I　don't　know　what　'philandering'

means。〃



Mainwaring　could　not　reply；　with　Richelieu；　〃You　ought　to　know〃；

nor　did　he　dare　explain　what　he　thought　it　meant；　and　how　he　knew

it。　　Louise；　however；　innocently　solved　the　difficulty。



〃There's　a　country　song　I've　heard　Minty　sing；〃　she　said。　　〃It

runs





　　　　　Come；　Philander；　let　us　be　a…marchin'；

　　　　　Every　one　for　his　true　love　a…sarchin'

　　　　　Choose　your　true　love　now　or　never。　。　。　。





Have　you　been　listening　to　her　also？〃



〃No；〃　said　Mainwaring；　with　a　sudden　incomprehensible；　but　utterly

irrepressible；　resolution；　〃but　I'M　'a…marchin'；'　you　know；　and

perhaps　I　must　'choose　my　true　love　now　or　never。'　　Will　you　help

me；　Miss　Macy？〃



He　drew　gently　near　her。　　He　had　become　quite　white；　but　also

very　manly；　and　it　struck　her；　more　deeply；　thoroughly；　and

conscientiously　sincere　than　any　man　who　had　before　addressed　her。

She　moved　slightly　away；　as　if　to　rest　herself　by　laying　both　hands

upon　the　back　of　the　chair。



〃Where　do　you　expect　to　begin　your　'sarchin''？〃　she　said；　leaning

on　the　chair　and　tilting　it　before　her；　〃or　are　you　as　vague　as

usual　as　to　locality？　　Is　it　at　some　'Mr。　Johnson'　or　'Mr。　Pico；'

or〃



〃Here；〃　he　interrupted　boldly。



〃I　really　think　you　ought　to　first　tell　my　cousin　that　you　are

going　away　to…morrow；〃　she　said；　with　a　faint　smile。　　〃It's　such

short　notice。　　She's　just　in　there。〃　　She　nodded　her　pretty　head；

without　raising　her　eyes；　towards　the　hall。



〃But　it　may　not　be　so　soon；〃　said　Mainwaring。



〃Oh；　then　the　'sarchin''　is　not　so　important？〃　said　Louise；　raising

her　head；　and　looking　towards　the　hall　with　some　uneasy　but

indefinable　feminine　instinct。



She　was　right；　the　sitting…room　door　opened；　and　Mrs。　Bradley　made

her　smiling　appearance。



〃Mr。　Mainwaring　was　just　looking　for　you；〃　said　Louise；　for　the

first　time　raising　her　eyes　to　him。　　〃He's　not　only　sent　off　Mr。

Richardson；　but　he's　going　away　himself　to…morrow。〃



Mrs。　Bradley　looked　from　the　one　to　the　other　in　mute　wonder。

Mainwaring　cast　an　imploring　glance　at　Louise；　which　had　the

desired　effect。　　Much　more　seriously；　and　in　a　quaint；　business…

like　way；　the　young　girl　took　it　upon　herself　to　explain　to　Mrs。

Bradley　that　Richardson　had　brought　the　invalid　some　important　news

that　would；　unfortunately；　not　only　shorten　his　stay　in　America；

but　even　compel　him　to　leave　The　Lookout　sooner　than　he　expected；

perhaps　to…morrow。　　Mainwaring　thanked　her　with　his　eyes；　and　then

turned　to　Mrs。　Bradley。



〃Whether　I　go　to…morrow　or　next　day；〃　he　said　with　simple　and

earnest　directness；　〃I　intend；　you　know；　to　see　you　soon　again；

either　here　or　in　my　own　home　in　England。　　I　do　not　know；〃　he　added

with　marked　gravity；　〃that　I　have　succeeded　in　convincing　you　that

I　have　made　your　family　already　well　known　to　my　people；　and　that〃

he　fixed　his　eyes　with　a　meaning　look　on　Louise〃no　matter　when；

or　in　what　way；　you　come　to　them；　your　place　is　made　ready　for　you。

You　may　not　like　them；　you　know：　the　governor　is　getting　to　be　an

old　manperhaps　too　old　for　young　Americansbut　THEY　will　like

YOU；　and　you　must　put　up　with　that。　　My　mother　and　sisters　know

Miss　Macy　as　well　as　I　do；　and　will　make　her　one　of　the　family。〃



The　conscientious　earnestness　with　which　these　apparent

conventionalities　were　uttered；　and　some　occult　quality　of　quiet

conviction　in　the　young　man's　manner；　brought　a　pleasant　sparkle　to

the　eyes　of　Mrs。　Bradley　and　Louise。



〃But；〃　said　Mrs。　Bradley；　gayly；　〃our　going　to　England　is　quite

beyond　our　present　wildest　dreams；　nothing　but　a　windfall；　an

unexpected　rise　in　timber；　or　even　the　tabooed　hotel　speculation；

could　make　it　possible。〃



〃But　I　shall　take　the　liberty　of　trying　to　present　it　to　Mr。

Bradley　tonight　in　some　practical　way　that　may　convince　even　his

critical　judgment；〃　said　Mainwaring；　still　seriously。　　〃It　will

be；〃　he　added　more　lightly；　〃the　famous　testimonial　of　my　cure

which　I　promised　you。〃



〃And　you　will　find　Mr。　Bradley　so　sceptical　that　you　will　be

obliged　to　defer　your　going；〃　said　Mrs。　Bradley；　triumphantly。

〃Come；　Louise；　we　must　not　forget　that　we　have　still　Mr。

Mainwaring's　present　comfort　to　look　after；　that　Minty　has　basely

deserted　us；　and　that　we　ourselves　must　see　that　the　last　days　of

our　guest　beneath　our　roof　are　not　remembered　for　their　privation。〃



She　led　Louise　away　with　a　half…mischievous　suggestion　of　maternal

propriety；　and　left　Mainwaring　once　more　alone　on　the　veranda。



He　had　done　it！　　Certainly　she　must　have　understood　his　meaning；

and　there　was　nothing　left　for　him　to　do　but　to　acquaint　Bradley

with　his　intentions　to…night；　and　press　her　for　a　final　answer　in

the　morning。　　There　would　be　no　indelicacy　then　in　asking　her　for

an　interview　more　free　from　interruption　than　this　public　veranda。

Without　conceit；　he　did　not　doubt　what　the　answer　would　be。　　His

indecision；　his　sudden　resolution　to　leave　her；　had　been　all　based

upon　the　uncertainty　of　HIS　own　feelings；　the　propriety　of　HIS

declaration；　the　possibility　of　some　previous　experience　of　hers

that　might　compromise　HIM。　　Convinced　by　her　unembarrassed　manner

of　her　innocence；　or　rather　satisfied　of　her　indifference　to

Richardson's　gossip；　he　had　been　hurried　by　his　feelings　into　an

unexpected　avowal。　　Brought　up　in　the　perfect　security　of　his　own

social　position；　and　familiarly　consciouswithout　vanityof　its

importance　and　power　in　such　a　situation；　he　believed；　without

undervaluing　Louise's　charms　or　independence；　that　he　had　no　one

else　than　himself　to　consult。　　Even　the　slight　uneasiness　that

still　pursued　him　was　more　due　to　his　habitual　conscientiousness　of

his　own　intention　than　to　any　fear　that　she　would　not　fully　respond

to　it。　　Indeed；　with　his　conservative　ideas　of　proper　feminine

self…restraint；　Louise's　calm　passivity　and　undemonstrative

attitude　were　a　proof　of　her　superiority；　had　she　blushed　overmuch；

cried；　or　thrown　herself　into　his　arms；　he　would　have　doubted　the

wisdom　of　so　easy　a　selection。　　It　was　true　he　had　known　her

scarcely　three　weeks；　if　he　chose　to　be　content　with　that；　his　own

accessible　record　of　three　centuries　should　be　sufficient　for　her；

and　condone　any　irregularity。



Nevertheless；　as　an　hour　slipped　away　and　Louise　did　not　make　her

appearance；　either　on　the　veranda　or　in　the　little　sitting…room　off

the　hall；　Mainwaring　became　more　uneasy　as　to　the　incompleteness　of

their　interview。　　Perhaps　a　faint　suspicion　of　the　inadequacy　of

her　response　began　to　trouble　him；　but　he　still　fatuously　regarded

it　rather　as　owing　to　his　own　hurried　and　unfinished　declaration。

It　was　true　that　he　hadn't　said　half　what　he　intended　to　say；　it

was　true　that　she　might　have　misunderstood　it　as　the　conventional

gallantry　of　the　situation；　asterrible　thought！the　light　banter

of　the　habitual　love…making　American；　to　which　she　had　been

accustomed；　perhaps　even　now　she　relegated　him　to　the　level　of

Greyson；　and　this　accounted　for　her　singular　impassivenessan

impassiveness　that　certainly　was　singular　now　he　reflected　upon　it

that　might　have　been　even　contempt。　　The　last　thought　pricked　his

deep　conscientiousness；　he　walked　hurriedly　up　and　down　the

veranda；　and　then；　suddenly　re…entering　his　room；　took　up　a　sheet

of　note…paper；　and　began　to　write　to　her：





〃Can　you　grant　me　a　few　moments'　interview　alone？　　I　cannot　bear

you　should　think　that　what　I　was　trying　to　tell　you　when　we　were

interrupted　was　prompted　by　anything　but　the　deepest　sincerity　and

conviction；　or　that　I　am　willing　it　should　be　passed　over　lightly

by　you　or　be　forgotten。　　Pray　give　me　a　chance　of　proving　it；　by

saying　you　will　see　me。　　F。　M。〃





But　how　should　he　convey　this　to　her？　　His　delicacy　revolted

against　handing　it　to　her　behind　Mrs。　Bradley's　back；　or　the

prestidigitation　of　slipping　it　into　her　lap　or　under　her　plate

before　them　at　luncheon；　he　thought　for　an　instant　of　the　Chinaman；

but　gentlemenexcept　in　that　〃mirror　of　nature〃　the　stageusually

hesitate　to　suborn　other　people's　servants；　or　entrust　a　woman's

secret　to　her　inferiors。　　He　remembered　that　Louise's　room　was　at

the　farther　end　of　the　house；　and　its　low　window　gave　upon　the

veranda；　and　was　guarded　at　night　by　a　film　of　white　and　blue

curtains　that　were　parted　during　the　day；　to　allow　a　triangular

revelation　of　a　pale　blue　and　white　draped　interior。　　Mainwaring

refle