to shirk my duty. Mr. Copley has already asked me to be his
wife, and I refused him. I do not wish to give him any pain, but I had
to put the matter plainly because he is a persistent man and not
inclined to take 'No' for an answer. I understand he has come here
to-night to renew his offer. Now, Mr. Copley, I have to tell you before
my father that what you ask is impossible. I am old-fashioned enough to
prefer happiness to money, and I could not marry a man whom I did not
love. I have never liked you, I never could like you, in fact, I hope
you won't think me rude when I say that I dislike you exceedingly.
Besides, there is something unmanly and cowardly in pursuing a
defenceless girl in this way. If you have one spark of proper feeling
you will never allude to this topic again. I don't want to appeal to
your pride. I think I have said enough."

Copley said nothing at the moment. He was struggling to obtain the
mastery of himself. His face flushed angrily. There was a nasty glitter
in his eyes.

"Does she understand?" he asked.

"It is not my fault if she doesn't," Sir George muttered.

"It is because I do understand," May said, "that I am all the more
determined in my refusal."

CHAPTER XXXII

AN EASY FALL

"One moment," Copley put in. "If Sir George has explained matters, then,
perhaps I can speak freely. Your father is indebted to me--I will not
say anything about the amount, for that would all be wiped out and we
could start on a much better footing if you would only take another view
of the case. If you persist----"

"You can take that for granted," May said.

"Would you like to think it over?" Copley suggested.

"Oh, I have thought it over. I have had all day to think it over. I see
you mean to force me to speak more plainly still. You have a hold over
my father. He is deeply in your debt. You have lent him a large sum of
money, not out of any feeling of friendship or generosity, but simply
because you thought you could force me to marry you. Did any one ever
hear of such a situation except on the stage? I know that if I do not
change my mind you will visit your displeasure upon my father, you will
make it impossible for us to remain at Haredale Park any longer. It
seems a strange thing that a man should be so lost to all sense of
decency as to use weapons like these to compel a girl to marry him. But
it hasn't stopped there. My father has told me quite plainly, even
brutally, that unless I ma