can't do any thing."

"But I don't want to do any thing."

"It never can end in any thing, you know."

"But I don't want it to end in any thing."

"You'll only bother her by entangling her affections."

"But I don't want to entangle her affections."

"Then what the mischief _do_ you want to do?"

"Why, very little. I'll start off soon for the uttermost ends of the
earth, but I wish to stay a little longer and see her sweet face. It's
not much, is it? It won't compromise her, will it? She need not run
any risk, need she? And I'm a man of honor, am I not? You don't
suppose me to be capable of any baseness, do you?"

"My dear fellow, how absurd! Of course not. Only I was afraid by
giving way to this you might drift on into a worse state of mind.
She's all safe, I fancy, surrounded as she is by so many guardians. It
is you that I'm anxious about."

"Don't be alarmed, old chap, about me. I feel calmer already. I can
face my situation firmly, and prepare for the worst. While I have been
sitting here I have thought out the future. I will stay here four or
five weeks. I will only seek solace for myself by riding about where I
may meet her. I do not intend to go to the house at all. My demon of a
wife may have the whole house to herself. I won't even give her the
pleasure of supposing that she has thwarted me. She shall never even
suspect the state of my heart. That would be bliss indeed to one like
her, for then she would find herself able to put me on the rack. No,
my boy; I've thought it all over. Scone Dacres is himself again. No
more nonsense now. Do you understand now what I mean?"

"Yes," said Hawbury, slowly, and in his worst drawl; "but ah, really,
don't you think it's all nonsense?"

"What?"

"Why, this ducking and diving about to get a glimpse of her face."

"I don't intend to duck and dive about. I merely intend to ride like
any other gentleman. What put that into your head, man?"

"Well, I don't know; I gathered it from the way you expressed
yourself."

"Well, I don't intend any thing of the kind. I simply wish to have
occasional looks at her--to get a bow and a smile of recognition when
I meet her, and have a few additional recollections to turn over in my
thoughts after I have left her forever. Perhaps this seems odd."

"Oh no, it doesn't. I quite understand it. A passing smile or a
parting sigh is sometimes more precious than any other memory. I know
all about it, you know--looks, glances, smi