‘Remember!’

’I thought for a while this morning that I would let it all pass as though it had been a mere trifling!’

‘It would have wanted two to let it pass in that way,’ he said, almost indignantly.

On hearing this she looked up at him, and there came over her face that brilliant smile, which to him was perhaps the most potent of her spells.  ‘What do you mean by wanting two?’

‘I must have voice in it as well as you.’

‘And what is your voice?’

’My voice is this.  I told you last night that I loved you.  This morning I ask you to be my wife.’

‘It is a very clear voice,’ she said,—­almost in a whisper; but in a tone so serious that it startled him.

‘It ought to be clear,’ he said doggedly.

’Do you think I don’t know that?  Do you think that if I liked you well last night I don’t like you better now?’

‘But do you like me?’

‘That is just the thing I am going to say nothing about.’

‘Isabel!’

’Just the one thing I will not allude to.  Now you must listen to me.’

‘Certainly.’

’I know a great deal about you.  We Americans are an inquiring people, and I have found out pretty much everything.’  His mind misgave him as he felt she had ascertained his former purpose respecting Mabel.  ‘You,’ she said, ’among young men in England are about the foremost, and therefore,—­as I think,—­about the foremost in the world.  And you have all personal gifts;—­youth and spirits—­ Well, I will not go on and name the others.  You are, no doubt, supposed to be entitled to the best and sweetest of God’s feminine creatures.’

‘You are she.’

’Whether you be entitled to me or not I cannot yet say.  Now I will tell you something of myself.  My father’s father came to New York as a labourer from Holland, and worked upon the quays in that city.  Then he built houses, and became rich, and was almost a miser;—­with the good sense, however, to educate his only son.  What my father is you see.  To me he is sterling gold, but he is not like your people.  My dear mother is not at all like your ladies.  She is not a lady in your sense,—­though with her unselfish devotion to others she is something infinitely better.  For myself I am,—­well, meaning to speak honestly, I will call myself pretty and smart.  I think I know how to be true.’

‘I am sure you do.’

’But what right have you to suppose I shall know how to be a Duchess?’

‘I am sure you will.’

’Now listen to me.  Go to your friends and ask them.  Ask that Lady Mabel;—­ask your father,—­ask that Lady Cantrip.  And above all, ask yourself.  And allow me to require you to take three months to do this.  Do not come to see me for three months.’

‘And then?’

’What may happen then I cannot tell, for I want three months also to think of it myself.  Till then, good-bye.’  She gave him her hand and left it in his for a few seconds.  He tried to draw her to him, but she resisted him, still smiling.  Then she left him.