ive me an honest answer to a downright question.
Are you engaged to Miss Lilian Dale?"

"No;--I am not."

"Upon your honour?"

"Do you think that I would tell you a falsehood about it? What I
meant was that it is a kind of thing one doesn't like talking about,
merely because stories are bandied about. People are so fond of
saying that this man is engaged to that woman, and of making up
tales; and it seems so foolish to contradict such things."

"But you know that you used to be very fond of her."

He had taken up his hat when he had risen from the sofa, and was
still standing with it ready in his hand. He was even now half-minded
to escape; and the name of Lily Dale in Miss Demolines' mouth was so
distasteful to him that he would have done so,--he would have gone
in sheer disgust, had she not stood in his way, so that he could not
escape without moving her, or going round behind the sofa. She did
not stir to make way for him, and it may be that she understood that
he was her prisoner, in spite of her late command to him to go. It
may be, also, that she understood his vexation and the cause of it,
and that she saw the expediency of leaving Lily Dale alone for the
present. At any rate, she pressed him no more upon the matter. "Are
we to be friends again?" she said.

"I hope so," replied Johnny.

"There is my hand, then." So Johnny took her hand and pressed it,
and held it for a little while,--just long enough to seem to give a
meaning to the action. "You will get to understand me some day," she
said, "and will learn that I do not like to be reckoned among the
everybodies by those for whom I really--really--really have a regard.
When I am angry, I am angry."

"You were very angry just now, when you showed me the way to the
door."

"And I meant it too,--for the minute. Only think,--supposing you had
gone! We should never have seen each other again;--never, never! What
a change one word may make!"

"One word often does make a change."

"Does it not? Just a little 'yes', or 'no'. A 'no' is said when a
'yes' is meant, and then there comes no second chance, and what a
change that may be from bright hopes to desolation! Or, worse again,
a 'yes' is said when a 'no' should be said,--when the speaker knows
that it should be 'no'. What a difference that 'no' makes! When one
thinks of it, one wonders that a woman should ever say anything but
'no'."

"They never did say anything else to me," said Johnny.

"I don't b