interview with Mr Croft should
be considered a definite refusal of his suit, but the interview had
terminated before she had stated her mind quite as plainly as she had
purposed doing. She had not, however, wished to renew the conversation
on the subject, and had concluded to content herself with what she had
already said; feeling quite sure that her words had been sufficient
to satisfy Mr Croft that it would be useless to make any further
proposals.

When, on the eve of her departure from the house, Mr Keswick had
brought her Mr Croft's message, she was not only amazed, but
indignant; not so much at Mr Croft for sending it, as at Mr Keswick
for bringing it. Miss March was not ashamed to confess that she was
irritated and incensed to a high degree that a gentleman who had held
the position towards her that Mr Keswick had held, should bring her
such a message from another man. She was, therefore, seized with a
sudden impulse to punish him, and, without in the least expecting that
he would carry such an answer, she had given him the one which he had
taken to Mr Croft. Having, until the day on which she was writing,
heard nothing further on the subject, she had supposed that her
expectations had been realized. But on this day the astonishing letter
from Mrs Keswick had arrived, and it made her understand that not
only had her impulsive answer been delivered, but that Mr Croft
had informed other persons that he had been accepted. She wished,
therefore, to lose no time in stating to Mr Croft that what she had
said to him, with her own lips, was to be received as her final
resolve; and that the answer given to Mr Keswick was not intended for
Mr Croft's ears.

Miss March then went on to say that it might be possible that she owed
Mr Croft an apology for the somewhat ungracious manner in which she
had treated him at Mrs Keswick's house; but she assured herself
that Mr Croft owed her an apology, not only for the manner of his
attentions, but for the peculiar publicity he had given them. In that
case the apologies neutralized each other. Miss March had no intention
of answering Mrs Keswick's letter. Under no circumstances could
she have considered, for a moment, its absurd suggestions and
recommendations; and it contained allusions to Mr Croft and another
person which, if not founded upon the imagination of Mrs Keswick,
certainly concerned nothing with which Miss March had anything to do.

The proud spirit of Lawrence Croft w