se
friends?" but he watched her narrowly as he said this.

"Because he would be the last person to tell you." Then she checked
herself, as she saw the snare he had laid for her. "What if I am
engaged to him?" as though determined to brave it out; "it can surely
be no business of yours, Mr. Herrick." There was rising temper in
Leah's voice.

"You must forgive me if I say that I differ from you there--my friend's
interests are my own. Miss Jacobi, how can you reconcile it to your
conscience to injure that poor boy's prospects by entering into a
clandestine engagement with him?"

He could see her eyes flash with anger, but she made no reply.

"You know his position. He is utterly dependent on his sisters--his
father left him nothing; he has no profession; he has not even finished
his university training; he is far too young to think of marrying."

She opened her lips to speak, and then closed them resolutely again.

"Pardon me if I am obliged to speak plainly, but I have no option. This
engagement cannot go on--you must set him free."

"Who says so--you, or Hugh Rossiter?" stopping and regarding him with a
frown that made her look for the moment like a beautiful Medusa. Then
she walked on again. "Excuse me, Mr. Herrick," very haughtily, "if I
say that I regard your interference with my private concerns as
unjustifiable impertinence. I refuse to discuss the matter with you; I
am going home. Tartar--Tim!" raising her voice. And she turned and
walked back so swiftly that he had some trouble in overtaking her.

"Miss Jacobi," in an urgent voice, "I must speak to you. I am an
accredited ambassador from Miss Templeton and her sister--they have
asked me to speak to you."

"They must choose another ambassador then," and Leah walked on faster.

Malcolm was at his wits' end. How could he compel this haughty and
obstinate young woman to listen to him? Then an idea came to him.

"If Miss Jacobi is so unapproachable," he said quietly, "perhaps the
Countess Ferrari will not refuse to listen to me?" Leah stopped
suddenly as though she had been shot, and her face grew white.

"What do you mean? How dare you call me that--do you want to kill me!"
But the expression in her eyes was not pleasant to see. For a moment
she seemed almost distraught.

"Hush--hush!" he said soothingly; "I would not have called you that if
I could have helped it; but you would not hear me. Let us go down that
little path; there is a seat there, and w