er shall. I thought I did. I thought they
were the feelings of a good, true-hearted friend; feelings that I
could sometimes look back upon with pleasure as being honest when
so much that one meets is false. I have become very fond of you, Mr
Gresham, and I should be sorry to think that I did not understand
your feelings."

This was almost worse and worse. Young ladies like Miss
Dunstable--for she was still to be numbered in the category of young
ladies--do not usually tell young gentlemen that they are very fond
of them. To boys and girls they may make such a declaration. Now
Frank Gresham regarded himself as one who had already fought his
battles, and fought them not without glory; he could not therefore
endure to be thus openly told by Miss Dunstable that she was very
fond of him.

"Fond of me, Miss Dunstable! I wish you were."

"So I am--very."

"You little know how fond I am of you, Miss Dunstable," and he put
out his hand to take hold of hers. She then lifted up her own, and
slapped him lightly on the knuckles.

"And what can you have to say to Miss Dunstable that can make it
necessary that you should pinch her hand? I tell you fairly, Mr
Gresham, if you make a fool of yourself, I shall come to a conclusion
that you are all fools, and that it is hopeless to look out for any
one worth caring for."

Such advice as this, so kindly given, so wisely meant, so clearly
intelligible, he should have taken and understood, young as he was.
But even yet he did not do so.

"A fool of myself! Yes; I suppose I must be a fool if I have so much
regard for Miss Dunstable as to make it painful for me to know that I
am to see her no more: a fool: yes, of course I am a fool--a man is
always a fool when he loves."

Miss Dunstable could not pretend to doubt his meaning any longer; and
was determined to stop him, let it cost what it would. She now put
out her hand, not over white, and, as Frank soon perceived, gifted
with a very fair allowance of strength.

"Now, Mr Gresham," said she, "before you go any further you shall
listen to me. Will you listen to me for a moment without interrupting
me?"

Frank was of course obliged to promise that he would do so.

"You are going--or rather you were going, for I shall stop you--to
make a profession of love."

"A profession!" said Frank making a slight unsuccessful effort to get
his hand free.

"Yes; a profession--a false profession, Mr Gresham,--a false
profession--a false prof