he door-bell rang. Though I
heard the voice distinctly when the door was opened, I vow to you, dear
Nell, that my chief desire was to get the rose pulled to pieces before I
was disturbed. I had flung the last petal into my lap, when the door
opened and Mr. Manners came into the room.

He did not speak; he opened his arms, and I ran straight into them,
roses and all. The petals rained over us and over the floor. He talked
very fast, and I did nothing but cling to him, and endure in silence the
weight which his presence could not remove from my mind, while he
pleaded passionately for our marriage. He said that it was the extreme
of all that was unreasonable, that our lives' happiness should be
sacrificed to the insane freak of a hardly responsible mind. He
complained bitterly (though I could but confess justly!) of the
insulting and intolerable treatment that he had received. He had come,
he said, in the first place, to assure himself of my constancy--in the
second, for a powerful and final remonstrance with my brother--and, if
that failed, to remind me that I should be of age next month; and to
convey the entreaty of the Tophams that, as a last resource, I would
come to them and be married from their house. I made up my mind, and
promised: then I implored him to be careful in his interview with my
brother, for my sake--to calm his own natural anger, and to remember
Edmund's infirmity. He promised, but I saw that he was slightly piqued
by my dwelling so much on Edmund's feelings rather than on his. Ah!
Nelly, he had never seen one of the poor boy's rages.

It may have been half-past six when Mr. Manners arrived; it had just
struck a quarter to nine when Edmund came in and found us together. He
paused for a minute, clicking his tongue in his mouth, in a way he had
when excited; and then he turned upon me, and heaped abuse on insult,
loading me with accusations and reproaches. George, white with
suppressed rage, called incessantly upon me to go; and at last I dared
disobey no longer; but as I went I touched his arm and whispered,
"Remember! for my sake." His intense "I promise, my darling," comforted
me then--and afterwards, Nelly. I went into a little room that opened
into the hall and waited.

In about twenty minutes the drawing-room door opened, and they came out.
I heard George's voice saying this or something equivalent (afterwards
I could not accurately recall the words)--

"Good-night, Mr. Lascelles; I trust our