on
Monday morning, with a bunch of late roses, on purpose to tell her
respecting him. She had taken Mabel's information at its true worth,
which I fear was but small; but she felt annoyed that both Mabel and Mr.
Alwynn should have thought it necessary to warn her. As if, she said to
herself, she had not known! Really, she had not been born and bred in
Slumberleigh, nor had she lived there all her life. She had met men of
that kind before. She always liked them. Charles especially amused her,
and she could see that she amused him; and, now she came to think of it,
she supposed he had paid her a good deal of attention at Atherstone, and
perhaps he had not come over to Slumberleigh especially to see Mr.
Alwynn. It was as natural to men like Charles to be always interested
in some one, as it would be unnatural in others ever to be so, except as
the result of long forethought, and with a wedding-ring and a set of
bridesmaids well in view. But to attach any importance to the fact that
Charles liked to talk to her would have been absurd. With another man it
might have meant much; but she had heard of Charles and his misdoings
long before she had met him, and knew what to expect. Lord Breakwater's
sister had confided to her many things respecting him, and had wept
bitter tears on her shoulder, when he suddenly went off to shoot
grizzlies in the Rocky Mountains.

"He has not sufficient vanity to know that he is exceedingly popular,"
said Ruth to herself. "I should think there are few men, handicapped as
he is, who have been liked more entirely for themselves, and less for
their belongings; but all the time he probably imagines people admire
his name, or his place, or his income, and not himself, and consequently
he does not care much what he says or does. I am certain he does not
mean to do any harm. His manner never deceived me for a moment. I can't
see why it should others; but, from all accounts, he seems to be
frequently misunderstood. That is just the right word for him. He is
misunderstood. At any rate, I never misunderstood him. That Sunday call
might have made me suspicious of any ordinary mortal; but I knew no
common rule could apply to such an exception as he is. I only wonder,
when he really does find himself in earnest, how he is to convey his
meaning to the future Lady Danvers. What words would be strong enough;
what ink would be black enough to carry conviction to her mind?"

She smiled at the thought, and, as she