“He is no boy.  He has attained his majority some months.  He is as old as your grandfather was when we married.  In three years you will be almost twenty, and by that time he will be in possession of his property which is very good—­in fact, he will be quite rich.  If you care for him there is nothing against him as I can see.  He is healthy, has a good character, and comes of a high family.  Being a bit wild won’t matter.  Very often, after they sow their wild oats, some of those scampy young fellows settle down and marry a nice young girl and turn out very good husbands.”

“It is disgusting, and you ought to be downright ashamed of yourself, grannie!  A man can live a life of bestiality and then be considered a fit husband for the youngest and purest girl!  It is shameful!  Frank Hawden is not wild, he hasn’t got enough in him to be so.  I hate him.  No, he hasn’t enough in him to hate.  I loathe and despise him.  I would not marry him or any one like him though he were King of England.  The idea of marriage even with the best man in the world seems to me a lowering thing,” I raged; “but with him it would be pollution—­the lowest degradation that could be heaped upon me!  I will never come down to marry any one—­” here I fell a victim to a flood of excited tears.

I felt there was no good in the world, especially in men—­the hateful creatures!—­and never would be while it was not expected of them, even by rigidly pure, true Christians such as my grandmother.  Grannie, dear old grannie, thought I should marry any man who, from a financial point of view, was a good match for me.  That is where the sting came in.  No, I would never marry.  I would procure some occupation in which I could tread my life out, independent of the degradation of marriage.

“Dear me, child,” said grannie, concernedly, “there is no need to distress yourself so.  I remember you were always fearfully passionate.  When I had you with me as a tiny toddler, you would fret a whole day about a thing an ordinary child would forget inside an hour.  I will tell Hawden to go about his business.  I would not want you to consider marriage for an instant with anyone distasteful to you.  But tell me truly, have you ever flirted with him?  I will take your word, for I thank God you have never yet told me a falsehood!”

“Grannie,” I exclaimed emphatically, “I have discouraged him all I could.  I would scorn to flirt with any man.”

“Well, well, that is all I want to hear about it.  Wash your eyes, and we will get our horses and go over to see Mrs Hickey and her baby, and take her something good to eat.”

I did not encounter Frank Hawden again till the afternoon, when he leered at me in a very triumphant manner.  I stiffened myself and drew out of his way as though he had been some vile animal.  At this treatment he whined, so I agreed to talk the matter over with him and have done with it once and for all.

He was on his way to water some dogs, so I accompanied him out to the stables near the kennels, to be out of hearing of the household.