re she had
been looking forward to a delightful visit from George Leicester,
probably a whole evening spent in his society, and now this pestilent
cousin of hers must needs take it into his perverse head to walk over
from Gosport--to be found later on by "dear George" making fierce love
to her, the unfortunate Lucy;--which would be quite sufficient, she felt
sure, to choke the said George off for at least another voyage. But
that should never be, she was quite resolved; she could not prevent her
cousin coming to the house, since her mother not only tolerated, but
rather encouraged his visits; but she could, and she _would_, prevent
his making love to her.

With this determination she sat down, and, resorting to the best means
she could think of for keeping her cousin at arm's length, produced her
writing-materials and proceeded to discharge a few of her epistolary
debts.

Being thus unmistakably shown that his presence was unwelcome to the
younger lady, he turned his attention to the elder one, talking to her
about the war--the then all-important and most interesting topic of the
moment--and giving her such scraps of news as had come to hand during
the day, but it was perfectly evident from the uneasy glances he shot at
his cousin and the nervous way in which he tugged at his long auburn
moustache, that his occupation was not to his liking. At last,
abandoning all further effort to accomplish the almost impossible task
of amusing the old lady, he stepped to Lucy's side, and said in a low
whisper--

"Will you come into the garden with me for a few minutes, Lucy? I have
something of the utmost importance to say to you, something which will
brook no delay, for my regiment is ordered off to the West Indies, and I
may not have another opportunity to see you."

Lucy knew as well as possible what the "something" was which her cousin
so anxiously desired to say to her; she was convinced that it was
nothing less than a proposal of marriage; and her first impulse was to
excuse herself. But that, she decided, would hardly be kind on the eve
of his departure for foreign service; moreover, it might leave him in
possession of a feeling that there was some hope for him, or possibly,
after the many love-speeches he had made her, he might feel himself in
some sort bound not to marry any one else until he had had a distinct
refusal from her, and that must certainly be avoided; so she decided
that she would grant him the desired