r's arms? and would not she have made him the proudest man in
England by a loving kiss? "I was asking Miss Mountjoy, when you came in,
to be my wife." This Scarborough said with a loud voice, looking Harry
full in the face.

"It cannot be," said Florence; "I told you that, for his honor,"--and she
laid her hand on Harry's arm,--"I could listen to no such request."

"The request has to be made again," he said.

"It will be made in vain," said Harry.

"So, no doubt, you think," said Captain Scarborough.

"You can ask herself," said Harry.

"Of course it will be made in vain," said Florence. "Does he think that
a girl, in such a matter as that of loving a man, can be turned here and
there at a moment's notice,--that she can say yes and no alternately to
two men? It is impossible. Harry Annesley has chosen me, and I am
infinitely happy in his choice." Here Harry made an attempt to get his
arm round her waist, in which, however, she prevented him, seeing the
angry passion rising in her cousin's eyes. "He is to be my husband, I
hope. I have told him that I love him, and I tell you so also. He has my
promise, and I cannot take it back without perjury to him, and ruin,
absolute ruin, to myself. All my happiness in this world depends on him.
He is to me my own one absolute master, to whom I have given myself
altogether, as far as this world goes. Even were he to reject me I could
not give myself to another."

"My Florence! my darling!" Harry exclaimed.

"After having told you so much, can you ask your cousin to be untrue to
her word and to her heart, and to become your wife when her heart is
utterly within his keeping? Mountjoy, it is impossible."

"What of me, then?" he said.

"Rouse yourself and love some other girl and marry her, and so do well
with yourself and with your property."

"You talk of your heart," he said, "and you bid me use my own after such
fashion as that!"

"A man's heart can be changed, but not a woman's. His love is but one
thing among many."

"It is the one thing," said Harry. Then the door opened, and Mrs.
Mountjoy entered the room.

"Oh dear! oh dear!" she said, "you, both of you, here together?"

"Yes: we are both here together," said Harry.

There was an unfortunate smile on his face as he said so, which made
Mountjoy Scarborough very angry. The two men were both handsome, two as
handsome men as you shall see on a summer's day. Mountjoy was
dark-visaged, with coal-black whiskers and