h, but there is no other way. I might stand at my door, and call to
her as she entered the carriage, but that would be the height of
absurdity. I might hop on one foot into the house, but, even if I wished
to present myself in that way, I don't believe I could get up that long
flight of steps. It would be worse than useless to write, for I should
not know what was thought of my letter, or even if it had been read. Mrs
Keswick cannot carry my message; Mrs Null will not; and I have only you
to call upon. I know it is a great deal to ask, but it means so much to
me--to both of us, in fact--that I ask it."

"You were kind enough to say a little while ago," said Junius, "that you
considered me an honorable man. I try to be such, and, therefore, will
frankly state to you that I can think of but three motives, satisfactory
to myself, for undertaking this business for you, and not one of them is
a generous one. In the first place, I might care to do it in order to
have this matter settled, for you are such an extraordinary suitor, that
I don't know in what form you may turn up, the next time. Secondly, from
what you tell me of Miss March's repugnance to meet you, I don't believe
my mission will have an issue favorable to you, and the more
unfavorable it is, the better I shall like it. My third reason for
acting for you is, that the whole affair is such an original one that it
will rather interest me to be engaged in it. This last reason would not
hold, however, if I had the least expectation of being successful."

"You consent then?" said Lawrence, quickly, turning towards the other.
"You'll go to Miss March for me?"

"Yes, I think I will," said Junius, "if you will accept the services of
a man who is decidedly opposed to your interests."

"Of course I never expected you to favor them," said Lawrence, "nor is
it necessary that you should. All I ask is, that you carry a message to
Miss March, and if she needs any explanation of it, that you will
explain in the way that I shall indicate; that you shall tell me how she
received my message; and that you shall bring me back her answer. There
is no need of your making any proposition to her; that has already been
done; what I want is, that she should not go away from here with a
misunderstanding between us, and that she shall give me at least the
promise of a hearing."

"Very good," said Junius, "now, what is it that you want me to say?"

This was not an easy question for Lawren