he is true. And he has asked me to be his wife."

"What did you say?"

"Well;--what do you think? What is it probable that such a girl as I
would say when such a man as your brother asks her to be his wife? Is
he not such a man as a girl would love?"

"Oh yes."

"Is he not handsome as a god?" Mary stared at her with all her eyes.
"And sweeter than any god those pagan races knew? And is he not
good-tempered, and loving; and has he not that perfection of manly
dash without which I do not think I could give my heart to any man?"

"Then you have accepted him?"

"And his rank and his wealth! The highest position in all the world
in my eyes."

"I do not think you should take him for that."

"Does it not all help? Can you put yourself in my place? Why should I
refuse him? No, not for that. I would not take him for that. But if I
love him,--because he is all that my imagination tells me that a man
ought to be;--if to be his wife seems to me to be the greatest bliss
that could happen to a woman; if I feel that I could die to serve
him, that I could live to worship him, that his touch would be sweet
to me, his voice music, his strength the only support in the world on
which I would care to lean,--what then?"

"Is it so?"

"Yes, it is so. It is after that fashion that I love him. He is my
hero;--and not the less so because there is none higher than he among
the nobles of the greatest land under the sun. Would you have me for
a sister?" Lady Mary could not answer all at once. She had to think
of her father;--and then she thought of her own lover. Why should
not Silverbridge be as well entitled to his choice as she considered
herself to be? And yet how would it be with her father? Silverbridge
would in process of time be the head of the family. Would it be
proper that he should marry an American?

"You would not like me for a sister?"

"I was thinking of my father. For myself I like you."

"Shall I tell you what I said to him?"

"If you will."

"I told him that he must ask his friends;--that I would not be his
wife to be rejected by them all. Nor will I. Though it be heaven I
will not creep there through a hole. If I cannot go in with my head
upright, I will not go even there." Then she turned round as though
she were prepared in her emotion to walk back to the house alone. But
Lady Mary ran after her, and having caught her, put her arm round her
waist and kissed her.

"I at any rate will love you," said Lady M