“I’m going to tell you of my heart, and I hope you won’t think it silly.  I do so because I believe you to be a gentleman, and a man of honor.”  He blushed at the words and the tone in which they were spoken, but his heart fell still lower.  “Mr. Anderson, I am engaged.”  Here she paused a moment, but he had nothing to say.  “I am engaged to marry a gentleman whom I love with all my heart, and all my strength, and all my body.  I love him so that nothing can ever separate me from him, or, at least, from the thoughts of him.  As regards all the interests of life, I feel as though I were already his wife.  If I ever marry any man I swear to you that it will be him.”  Then Mr. Anderson felt that all hope had utterly departed from him.  She had said that she believed him to be a man of truth.  He certainly believed her to be a true-speaking woman.  He asked himself, and he found it to be quite impossible to doubt her word on this subject.  “Now I will go on and tell you my troubles.  My mother disapproves of the man.  Sir Magnus has taken upon himself to disapprove, and Lady Mountjoy disapproves especially.  I don’t care two straws about Sir Magnus and Lady Mountjoy.  As to Lady Mountjoy, it is simply an impertinence on her part, interfering with me.”  There was something in her face as she said this which made Mr. Anderson feel that if he could only succeed in having her and the pair of ponies he would be a prouder man than the ambassador at Paris.  But he knew that it was hopeless.  “As to my mother, that is indeed a sorrow.  She has been to me the dearest mother, putting her only hopes of happiness in me.  No mother was ever more devoted to a child, and of all children I should be the most ungrateful were I to turn against her.  But from my early years she has wished me to marry a man whom I could not bring myself to love.  You have heard of Captain Scarborough?”

“The man who disappeared?”

“He was and is my first cousin.”

“He is in some way connected with Sir Magnus.”

“Through mamma.  Mamma is aunt to Captain Scarborough, and she married the brother of Sir Magnus.  Well, he has disappeared and been disinherited.  I cannot explain all about it, for I don’t understand it; but he has come to great trouble.  It was not on that account that I would not marry him.  It was partly because I did not like him, and partly because of Harry Annesley.  I will tell you everything because I want you to know my story.  But my mother has disliked Mr. Annesley, because she has thought that he has interfered with my cousin.”

“I understand all that.”

“And she has been taught to think that Mr. Annesley has behaved very badly.  I cannot quite explain it, because there is a brother of Captain Scarborough who has interfered.  I never loved Captain Scarborough, but that man I hate.  He has spread those stories.  Captain Scarborough has disappeared, but before he went he thought it well to revenge himself on Mr. Annesley.  He attacked him in the street late at night, and endeavored to beat him.”