y,
with a languishing glance, and clasping his hands romantically as he
spoke; "live for one, whose heart is wrapped in thee!"

Miss Fanny's sense of the ludicrous was strong, and this pathetic
appeal caused her to burst into laughter.

"More ridiculous than ever, as I live!" she cried, "though I thought
that was impossible."

"Did you?"

"Yes."

Mr. Ashley gently twined a lock around his finger, and assuming a
foppish air, replied:

"I don't know whether you thought it impossible for me to become more
ridiculous; but you can't help confessing, my own Fanny, that you
doubted whether I could grow more fascinating."

Fanny's lip curled.

"Oh, yes!" she said.

"Come--don't deny what was perfectly plain--it won't do."

"Deny--?"

"That you were desperately in love with me, and that I was your
sweetheart, as the children say."

And Mr. Ralph gently caressed the downy covering of his chin, and
smiled.

"What a conceited thing you are," said Fanny, laughing; "you are
outrageous."

And having uttered this opinion, Miss Fanny's eyes suddenly fell, and
her merry cheek colored. The truth was simply, that Ralph had been a
frank, good-humored, gallant boy, and the neighbors _had_ said, that
he was Fanny's "sweetheart;" and the remembrance of this former
imputation now embarrassed the nearly-grown-up young lady. No one
could remain embarrassed in Mr. Ralph's society long however; there
was so much careless ease in his demeanor, that it was contagious,
and so Fanny in a moment had regained all her self-possession, and
returned the languishing glances of her admirer with her habitual
expression of satirical humor.

"Yes, perfectly outrageous!" she said; "and college has positively
ruined you--you cannot deny it."

"Ruined me?"

"Wholly."

"On the contrary, it has greatly improved me, my dearest."

And Ralph sat down on the trellised portico, stretching out his
elegant rosetted shoes, and laughing.

"I am not your dearest," said Fanny; "that is not my name."

"You are mistaken! But come, sit by me: I'm just in the mood to talk."

"No! I don't think I will."

"Pray do."

"No," said Fanny, shaking her head coquettishly, "I'll stand while
your lordship discourses."

"You positively shan't!"

And with these words, the young man grasped Miss Fanny's long
streaming hair-ribbon, and gently drew it toward him, laughing.

Fanny cried out. Ralph laughed more than ever.

There was but one alternative left