k
Leonard and he blurted out:

'But do you not think that something is due to me?'

'How do you mean?' Her brows were puckered with real wonder this time.

'For false hopes raised in my mind. If I did not love you before, the
very act of proposing to me has made me love you; and now I love you so
well that I cannot live without you!' In his genuine agitation he was
starting up, when the sight of her hand laid upon the gong arrested him.
She laughed as she said:

'I thought that the privilege of changing one's mind was a female
prerogative! Besides, I have done already something to make reparation
to you for the wrong of . . . of--I may put it fairly, as the suggestion
is your own--of not having treated you as a woman!'

'Damn!'

'As you observe so gracefully, it is annoying to have one's own silly
words come back at one, boomerang fashion. I made up my mind to do
something for you; to pay off your debts.' This so exasperated him that
he said out brutally:

'No thanks to you for that! As I had to put up with the patronage and
the lecturings, and the eyeglass of that infernal old woman, I don't
intend . . . '

Stephen stood up, her hand upon the gong:

'Mr. Everard, if you do not remember that you are in my drawing-room, and
speaking of my dear and respected aunt, I shall not detain you longer!'

He sat down at once, saying surlily:

'I beg your pardon. I forgot. You make me so wild that--that . . . ' He
chewed the ends of his moustache angrily. She resumed her seat, taking
her hand from the gong. Without further pause she continued:

'Quite right! It has been Miss Rowly who paid your debts. At first I
had promised myself the pleasure; but from something in your speech and
manner she thought it better that such an act should not be done by a
woman in my position to a man in yours. It might, if made public, have
created quite a wrong impression in the minds of many of our friends.'

There was something like a snort from Leonard. She ignored it:

'So she paid the money herself out of her own fortune. And, indeed, I
must say that you do not seem to have treated her with much gratitude.'

'What did I say or do that put you off doing the thing yourself?'

'I shall answer it frankly: It was because you manifested, several times,
in a manner there was no mistaking, both by words and deeds, an intention
of levying blackmail on me by using your knowledge of my ridiculous,
unmaidenly act. No one