ely,

"No, I do not! I love no man who can trifle with a young girl, or any
woman--no man who has the effrontery to expect some one to take for
granted a courtship that has never existed!"

"For Heaven's sake, what _do_ you mean?"

"Go to Miss Sprig and inquire; she has more reason to take your love
for granted than I."

"I'll not go to her, but I shall leave you," he said, with a white face.
"You certainly don't care for me, or you would never deal me such an
unjust thrust as this."

And then I heard him close the front door. I think the neighborhood
heard him.

I walked to the window. He was gone.

I told myself I was glad of it--that a good lesson had been taught.

Which of us was teacher remained somewhat obscure.

XII

It might reasonably be supposed that the event last narrated disturbed
my life. It did in a measure, and for a time, but I was not very long in
bringing it back to its accustomed channel.

Strange as it may seem, although we lived across the street from one
another, I saw nothing of Mr. Chance for many weeks. Perhaps it is not
strange though, after all, since each of us was taking pains to avoid
the other, and we knew each other's habits of life pretty well by this
time.

But if I didn't see him, I heard of him frequently enough, for Mrs.
Purblind rarely ever met me without saying something about "Dolph," as
she called him. She was exceedingly fond of him, and with good cause,
for he was a most affectionate, thoughtful, unselfish brother. He was
very different from her, and they were not confidential friends, when
serious matters were concerned, but they were companionable,
nevertheless.

It is not likely Mrs. Purblind realized that she was shut out from
something that deeply concerned her brother; but she worried about him.
She was certain he was ill--he had little appetite, and was in no way
like himself, she said. Miss Sprig wondered what had come over him.

I believe Mrs. Purblind must have been deaf as well as blind, otherwise
the neighborhood gossip regarding Mr. Chance and myself, which was rife
a year ago, would certainly have reached her. Evidently she had heard
nothing, and she continued to keep my innermost breast in a secret
ferment, by pouring her fears and speculations into my ear. She even
confided in me that she had for a long time suspected the existence of
an affair between Miss Sprig and her brother, but this young woman