e me sitting by
myself, Teddy, you are to come over to me, no matter how engaged you
may be, and sit down beside me. If I have any one else with me, of
course you need not mind it."

"I see." Rather dryly. "Two is company, three is trumpery."

"Have I vexed you? How foolish you are! Why, if you are jealous in
imagination, how will it be in reality? There will be many men at
Herst; and perhaps--who knows----"

"What?"

"I may fall in love with some of them."

"Very likely." With studied coolness.

"Philip Shadwell, for instance?"

"It may be."

"Or your Mr. Potts?"

"There is no accounting for tastes."

"Or any one else that may happen to please me?"

"I see nothing to prevent it."

"And what then?"

"Why, then you will forget me, and like him,--until you like some one
else better."

"Now, if I were a dignified young lady," says Molly, "I should feel
insulted; but, being only Molly Bawn, I don't. I forgive you; and I
won't fall in love with any one; so you may take that thunder-cloud off
your brow as soon as it may please your royal highness."

"What do you gain by making me unhappy?" asks he, impetuously seizing
the hand she has extended to him with all the air of an offended but
gracious queen.

"Everything." Laughing. "I delight in teasing you, you look so
deliciously miserable all through; it is never time thrown away upon
you. Now, if you could only manage to laugh at my sallies or tease me
back again, I dare say I should give in in a week and let you rest in
peace ever after. Why don't you?"

"Perhaps because I can't. All people are not gifted with your fertile
imagination. Or because it would give _me_ no pleasure to see
_you_ 'deliciously miserable.'"

"Oh, you _wouldn't_ see that," says Molly, airily. "All you could
say would not suffice to bring even the faintest touch of misery into
my face. Angry I might be, but 'miserable,' never!"

"Be assured, Molly, I shall never put your words to the test. Your
happiness means mine."

"See how the diamonds flash!" says Molly, presently, recurring to her
treasure. "Is this the engagement-finger? But I will not let it stay
there, lest it might betray me."

"But every one knows it now."

"Are John and Letty every one? At Herst they are still in blissful
ignorance. Let them remain so. I insist on our engagement being kept
secret."

"But why?"

"Because if it was known it would spoil all my fun. I have noticed that
men avoid a _fiancee_ as