up to her eyes, "I see it
everywhere staring at me, that big, dreadful 6. But how is it the 8th
now? There is something in it--something I don't understand."

He laughed loudly and long: one of those boisterous laughs which always
jarred upon Elinor. "I don't in the least mind how it was," he said. "It
was, and that's quite enough for me; and let it be for you too, Nell. I
hope you're not going to search into the origin of things like this;
we've quite enough to do in this world to take things as they come."

"Oh, Phil! if at least I could understand--I don't understand: or if I
had not been made to say what is so mysterious--what must be false."

"Hush, Nell; how could it be false when you saw with your own eyes it
was true? Now let us be done with this, my darling. The incident is
terminated, as the French say. I came here as fast as I could come to
have a good laugh with you over it, and lo! you're nearer crying. Why
should you have Stanny on your conscience, Nell? a fellow that would
like no better than to hang me if he could get the chance."

"But Phil, Phil--oh, tell me, what could this man have done to you? Why
are you afraid of him? Why, why have you made me tell him----"

"Now, Nell, no exaggerated expression. It was a fact you told him,
according to the best of evidence; and what he could have done to me is
just this--he might have given me a deal of trouble, and put off our
marriage. I should have had to go back to town, and my time would have
been taken up with finding out about those books, and our marriage would
have been put off; that's what he could have done."

"Is that all?" cried Elinor, "was that all?"

"All!" he said, with that loud laugh again; "you don't mind a bit how
you hurt a fellow's pride, and his affections, and all that. Do you mean
to say, you hard-hearted little coquette, that you wouldn't mind? I
don't believe you would mind! Here am I counting the hours, and you, you
little cold puss, you aggravating little----"

"Oh, Phil, don't talk such nonsense. If we were to be separated, for a
week or a month, what could that matter, in comparison with saying what
wasn't----"

"Hush," he said, putting his hand to her mouth. "It's not nice of you
to take it so easily, Nell. I'd tell as many what-d'ye-call-'ems as
you like, rather than put it off an hour. Why, feeling apart (and I
don't think you've any feeling, you little piece of ice), think how
inconvenient it would have been; the peop