, Evan. I do.'

Hard for him, while his heart was melting to caress her, the thought that
he had snared this bird of heaven in a net! Rose gave him no time for
reflection, or the moony imagining of their raptures lovers love to dwell
upon.

'You gave the letter to Polly, of course?'

'Yes.'

'Oh, naughty Polly! I must punish you,' Rose apostrophized her. 'You
might have divided us for ever. Well, we shall have to fight a battle,
you understand that. Will you stand by me?'

Would he not risk his soul for her?

'Very well, Evan. Then--but don't be sensitive. Oh, how sensitive you
are! I see it all now. This is what we shall have to do. We shall have to
speak to Mama to-day--this morning. Drummond has told me he is going to
speak to her, and we must be first. That 's decided. I begged a couple of
hours. You must not be offended with Drummond. He does it out of pure
affection for us, and I can see he's right--or, at least, not quite
wrong. He ought, I think, to know that he cannot change me. Very well, we
shall win Mama by what we do. My mother has ten times my wits, and yet I
manage her like a feather. I have only to be honest and straightforward.
Then Mama will gain over Papa. Papa, of course, won't like it. He's quiet
and easy, but he likes blood, but he also likes peace better; and I think
he loves Rosey--as well as somebody--almost? Look, dear, there is our
seat where we--where you would rob me of my handkerchief. I can't talk
any more.'

Rose had suddenly fallen from her prattle, soft and short-breathed.

'Then, dear,' she went on, 'we shall have to fight the family. Aunt
Shorne will be terrible. My poor uncles! I pity them. But they will come
round. They always have thought what I did was right, and why should they
change their minds now? I shall tell them that at their time of life a
change of any kind is very unwise and bad for them. Then there is
Grandmama Bonner. She can hurt us really, if she pleases. Oh, my dear
Evan! if you had only been a curate! Why isn't your name Parsley? Then my
Grandmama the Countess of Elburne. Well, we have a Countess on our side,
haven't we? And that reminds me, Evan, if we're to be happy and succeed,
you must promise one thing: you will not tell the Countess, your sister.
Don't confide this to her. Will you promise?'

Evan assured her he was not in the habit of pouring secrets into any
bosom, the Countess's as little as another's.

'Very well, then, Evan, it's unpleasant