“I don’t think that much good is ever
done by saying that kind of thing,” said Miss
Mellerby gravely.
“It cannot at any rate do any harm in this case.
I wish with all my heart that he was fond of you and
you of him.”
“That is all nonsense. Indeed it is.”
“I am not saying it without an object.
I don’t see why you and I should not understand
one another. If I tell you a secret will you keep
it?”
“Do not tell me any secret that I must keep
from Lady Scroope.”
“But that is just what you must do.”
“But then suppose I don’t do it,”
said Miss Mellerby.
But Fred was determined to tell his secret. “The
truth is that both my uncle and my aunt want me to
fall in love with you.”
“How very kind of them,” said she with
a little forced laugh.
“I don’t for a moment think that, had
I tried it on ever so, I could have succeeded.
I am not at all the sort of man to be conceited in
that way. Wishing to do the best they could for
me, they picked you out. It isn’t that
I don’t think as well of you as they do, but—”
“Really, Mr. Neville, this is the oddest conversation.”
“Quite true. It is odd. But the fact
is you are here, and there is nobody else I can talk
to. And I want you to know the exact truth.
I’m engaged to—somebody else.”
“I ought to break my heart;—oughtn’t
I?”
“I don’t in the least mind your laughing
at me. I should have minded it very much if I
had asked you to marry me, and you had refused me.”
“You haven’t given me the chance, you
see.”
“I didn’t mean. What was the good?”
“Certainly not, Mr. Neville, if you are engaged
to some one else. I shouldn’t like to be
Number Two.”
“I’m in a peck of troubles;—that’s
the truth. I would change places with my brother
to-morrow if I could. I daresay you don’t
believe that, but I would. I will not vex my
uncle if I can help it, but I certainly shall not
throw over the girl who loves me. If it wasn’t
for the title, I’d give up Scroope to my brother
to-morrow, and go and live in some place where I could
get lots of shooting, and where I should never have
to put on a white choker.”
“You’ll think better of all that.”
“Well!—I’ve just told you everything
because I like to be on the square. I wish you
knew Kate O’Hara. I’m sure you would
not wonder that a fellow should love her. I had
rather you didn’t tell my aunt what I have told
you; but if you choose to do so, I can’t help
it.”
The Wisdom of Jack Neville.
Neville had been forced to get his leave of absence
renewed on the score of his uncle’s health,
and had promised to prolong his absence till the end
of April. When doing so he had declared his intention
of returning to Ennis in the beginning of May; but
no agreement to that had as yet been expressed by
his uncle or aunt. Towards the end of the month
his brother came to Scroope, and up to that time not
a word further had been said to him respecting Kate
O’Hara.
