ertainly," responded the gallant. "I find no fault at all
with your presence. Please take no account whatever of me. I assure you I
shall not be in the least disturbed."

John was somewhat disconcerted.

"Perhaps you will not be disturbed," replied John, struggling to keep down
his temper, "but I fear you do not understand me. I hope to meet a--a lady
and--"

"I hope also to meet a--a friend," the fellow said; "but I assure you we
shall in no way conflict."

"May I ask," queried John, "if you expect to meet a gentleman or a lady?"

"Certainly you may ask," was the girl's irritating reply.

"Well, well, sir, I do ask," said John. "Furthermore, I demand to know
whom you expect to meet at this place."

"That, of course, sir, is no business of yours."

"But I shall make it my affair. I expect to meet a lady here, my
sweetheart." The girl's heart jumped with joy. "And if you have any of the
feelings of a gentleman, you must know that your presence will be
intolerable to me."

"Perhaps it will be, my dear sir, but I have as good a right here as you
or any other. If you must know all about my affairs, I tell you I, too,
hope to meet my sweetheart at this place. In fact, I know I shall meet my
sweetheart, and, my good fellow, I beg to inform you that a stranger's
presence would be very annoying to me."

John was at his wit's end. He must quickly do or say something to persuade
this stubborn fellow to leave. If Dorothy should come and see two persons
at the gate she, of course, would return to the Hall. Jennie Faxton, who
knew that the garments were finished, had told Sir John that he might
reasonably expect to see Dorothy at the gate on that evening, for Sir
George had gone to Derby-town, presumably to remain over night.

In sheer desperation John said, "I was here first, and I claim the
ground."

"That is not true," replied the other. "I have been waiting here for
you--I mean for the person I am to meet--" Dorothy thought she had
betrayed herself, and that John would surely recognize her. "I had been
waiting full five minutes before you arrived."

John's blindness in failing to recognize Dorothy is past my understanding.
He explained it to me afterward by saying that his eagerness to see
Dorothy, and his fear, nay almost certainty, that she could not come,
coupled with the hope which Jennie Faxton had given him, had so completely
occupied his mind that other subjects received but slight consideration.

"But I-