ever be misunderstood by me. I have never been vain
enough to suppose for a moment that there was any other feeling,--not
for a moment. You women can be so careful, while we men are always
off our guard! A man loves because he cannot help it; but a woman has
been careful, and answers him--with friendship. Perhaps I am wrong to
say that I never thought of winning anything more; but I never think
of winning more now." Why the mischief didn't Miss Van Siever come!
In another five minutes, despite himself, he would be on his knees,
making a mock declaration, and she would be pouring forth the vial of
her mock wrath, or giving him mock counsel as to the restraint of his
passion. He had gone through it all before, and was tired of it; but
for his life he did not know how to help himself.

"Conway," said she, gravely, "how dare you address me in such
language."

"Of course it is very wrong; I know that."

"I'm not speaking of myself now. I have learned to think so little of
myself, as even to be indifferent to the feeling of the injury you
are doing me. My life is a blank, and I almost think that nothing
can hurt me further. I have not heart left enough to break; no, not
enough to be broken. It is not of myself that I am thinking, when I
ask you how you dare to address my in such language. Do you not know
that it is an injury to another?"

"To what other?" asked Conway Dalrymple, whose mind was becoming
rather confused, and who was not quite sure whether the other one was
Mr. Dobbs Broughton, or somebody else.

"To that poor girl who is coming here now, who is devoted to you, and
to whom, I do not doubt, you have uttered words which ought to have
made it impossible for you to speak to me as you spoke not a moment
since."

Things were becoming very grave and difficult. They would have been
very grave, indeed, had not some god saved him by sending Miss Van
Siever to his rescue at this moment. He was beginning to think what
he would say in answer to the accusation now made, when his eager ear
caught the sound of her step upon the stairs; and before the pause in
the conversation which the circumstances admitted had given place to
the necessity for further speech, Miss Van Siever had knocked at the
door and had entered the room. He was rejoiced, and I think that Mrs
Broughton did not regret the interference. It is always well that
these little dangerous scenes should be brought to sudden ends.
The last details of such roman