at up on the edge of her bed.

"Did he tell you?"

"Yes. Of course he told me. He says you refused him. Did you?"

"I'm afraid I did."

"Then Anne, you're a perfect little fool."

"But Auntie, I don't love him."

"Nonsense; you love him as much as most people love the men they marry.
He's quite sensible. He doesn't want you to go mad about him."

"He wants more than I can give him."

"Well, all I can say is if you can't give him what he wants you'd no
business to go about with him as you've been doing."

"I've been going about with him all my life and I never dreamed he'd
want to marry me."

"What did you suppose he'd want?"

"Why, nothing but just to go about. As we always did."

"You idiot."

"I don't see why you should be so cross about it."

Adeline sat down in the armchair at the head of the bed, prepared to
"have it out" with Anne.

"I suppose you think my son's happiness is nothing to me? Didn't it
occur to you that if you refuse him he'll stick for years in that awful
place he's going to? Whereas if he had a wife in England there'd be a
chance of his coming home now and then. Perhaps he'd never go out
again."

"I'm sorry, Auntie. I can't marry Eliot even to keep him in England.
Even to please you."

"Even to save his life, you mean. You don't care if he dies of some
hideous tropical disease."

"I care awfully. But I can't marry him. He knows why."

"It's more than I do. If you're thinking of Jerrold, you needn't. I
thought you'd done with that schoolgirlish nonsense."

"I'm not 'thinking' of him. I'm not 'thinking' of anybody and I wish
you'd leave me alone."

"My dear child, how can I leave you alone when I see you making the
mistake of your life? Eliot is absolutely the right person for you, if
you'd only the sense to see it. He's got more character than anybody I
know. Much more than dear Jerry. He'll be ten times more interesting to
live with."

"I thought Jerrold was your favourite."

"No, Eliot, my dear. Always Eliot. He was my first baby."

"Well, I'm awfully sorry you mind so much. And I'd marry Eliot if I
could. I simply hate him to be unhappy. But he won't be. He'll live to
be frightfully glad I didn't...What, aren't you going to kiss me
good-night?"

Adeline had risen and turned away with the great dignity of her
righteous anger.

"I don't feel like it," she said. "I think you've been thoroughly
selfish and unkind. I hate girls who go on like that--making a man mad