. MacPherson."

There was a pause. I would have given much to have seen the pair of
them. When Mr. Malcolm MacPherson spoke his voice was that of blank,
uncomprehending amazement.

"Nillie, what is it you are meaning?" he said.

"I cannot marry you, Mr. MacPherson," repeated Aunt Olivia.

"Why not?" Surprise was giving way to dismay.

"I don't think you will understand, Mr. MacPherson," said Aunt Olivia,
faintly. "You don't realize what it means for a woman to give up
everything--her own home and friends and all her past life, so to speak,
and go far away with a stranger."

"Why, I suppose it will be rather hard. But, Nillie, Avonlea isn't very
far away--not more than twelve miles, if it will be that."

"Twelve miles! It might as well be at the other side of the world to
all intents and purposes," said Aunt Olivia obstinately. "I don't know a
living soul there, except Rachel Lynde."

"Why didn't you say so before I bought the place, then? But it's not too
late. I can be selling it and buying right here in East Grafton if that
will please you--though there isn't half as nice a place to be had. But
I'll fix it up somehow!"

"No, Mr. MacPherson," said Aunt Olivia firmly, "that doesn't cover the
difficulty. I knew you would not understand. My ways are not your ways
and I cannot make them over. For--you track mud in--and--and--you don't
care whether things are tidy or not."

Poor Aunt Olivia had to be Aunt Olivia; if she were being burned at the
stake I verily believe she would have dragged some grotesqueness into
the tragedy of the moment.

"The devil!" said Mr. Malcolm MacPherson--not profanely or angrily, but
as in sheer bewilderment. Then he added, "Nillie, you must be joking.
It's careless enough I am--the west isn't a good place to learn finicky
ways--but you can teach me. You're not going to throw me over because I
track mud in!"

"I cannot marry you, Mr. MacPherson," said Aunt Olivia again.

"You can't be meaning it!" he exclaimed, because he was beginning to
understand that she did mean it, although it was impossible for his
man mind to understand anything else about the puzzle. "Nillie, it's
breaking my heart you are! I'll do anything--go anywhere--be anything
you want--only don't be going back on me like this."

"I cannot marry you, Mr. MacPherson," said Aunt Olivia for the fourth
time.

"Nillie!" exclaimed Mr. Malcolm MacPherson. There was such real agony in
his tone that Peggy and I were sudde