d like in those days. By-the-way, I can't make out how it is
you weren't over head and ears in love with her yourself! I thought
her the loveliest girl I had ever seen, and felt very unhappy.

"We slept at the hotel that night, and on the way back to Riffrath
next morning Freddy Reece proposed to me.

"I told him I couldn't marry him--but that I loved him as a sister,
and all that; I really was very fond of him indeed, but I didn't
want to marry him; I wanted to marry Barty, in fact; and make him
rich and famous, as I felt sure he would be some day, whether I
married him or not.

"But there was that lovely Leah Gibson, the furrier's daughter!

"When we got home to Riffrath mamma found she'd got a cold, and had
a fancy for a French thing called a 'loch'; I think her cold was
suddenly brought on by my refusing poor Freddy's offer!

"I went with Grissel, the maid (who knew about _lochs_), to the
Riffrath chemist's, but he didn't even know what we meant--so I told
mamma I would go and get a _loch_ in Duesseldorf next day if she
liked, with Uncle James. Mamma was only too delighted, for next day
was Mr. Josselin's day for coming to Riffrath; but he didn't, for I
wrote to him to meet me at twelve at a little picture-gallery I knew
of in the Allee Strasse--as I wanted to have a talk with him.

"Uncle James had caught a cold too, so I went with Grissel; and
found a chemist who'd been in France, and knew what a loch was and
made one for me; and then I went to the gallery, and there was poor
Barty sitting on a crimson velvet couch, under a picture of Milton
dictating _Paradise Lost_ to his daughters (I bought it afterwards,
and I've got it now).

"We said how d'ye do, and sat on the couch together, and I felt
dreadfully nervous and ashamed.

"Then I said:

"'You must think me very odd, Mr. Josselin, to ask you to meet me
like this!'

"'I think it's a very great honor!' he said; 'I only wish I deserved
it.'

"And then he said nothing for quite five minutes, and I think he
felt as uncomfortable as I did.

[Illustration: AM RHEIN "LED WE NOT THERE A JOLLY LIFE BETWIXT THE
SUN AND SHADE?"]

"'Captain Graham-Reece has asked me to be his wife, and I refused,'
I said.

"'Why did you refuse? He's one of the best fellows I've ever met,'
said Barty.

"'He