me over here, you
will understand what I mean. I am going to do things which very likely
you would be ashamed to think that any friend of yours would do."

He turned upon her a little angrily.

"Child," he said, "if I weren't so fond of you I think you would make me
lose my temper. How old are you?"

"Nineteen," she answered, "but it isn't any business of yours."

"No business of mine!" he repeated. "Heavens! Isn't it the business of
any man to look after a child like you? Nineteen years old, indeed, and
most of them spent in a farmhouse! How do you know that these things
which you talk about doing are right or necessary? Don't you see you are
not old enough to be a judge of the serious things of life? You want
some one to take care of you, Virginia. Will you marry me?"

"Will I what?" she gasped.

"Wasn't I explicit enough?" he asked. "I said marry me."

She would have risen from her chair, but he calmly took her arm and drew
her down again.

"I will not stay here," she declared, "and hear you talk such rubbish."

"It is not rubbish," he answered, "but I will admit that I should not
have said anything about it yet, if it had not been for your vague
threats of what you were going to do. Virginia," he added, dropping his
voice almost to a whisper, "you know that I am fond of you. I have been
fond of you ever since I first saw you here."

"Six days ago," she murmured drearily.

"Six days or six weeks, it's all the same," he declared. "I wasn't going
to say anything just yet, but I can't bear the thought of leaving you at
Liverpool, in a strange country, and without any friends. Be sensible,
dear, and tell me all about it later on. First of all, I want my answer."

"Is that necessary?" she replied quietly. "Even in America, we don't
promise to marry people whom we have known but six days."

"Wait until you have known me longer, then," he answered, "but give me
at least the chance of knowing you."

"You are a very foolish person," she said, a little more kindly. "You do
not know who I am, or anything about me. Some day or other you will be
very glad that I did not take advantage of your kindness."

"You think that I ask you this," he said, "because I am sorry for you?"

"I don't want to think about it at all," she answered, rising. "I am not
going to sit here any longer. We will walk a while, if you like."

They paced together up and down the deck. She asked him questions about
the lights, the landing at