"Lady Katherine Montgomerie writes to ask me to Tryland," I said. "So if
you will excuse me I will answer it, and say I will come this
afternoon," and I got up.
Mr. Carruthers rose, too, and followed me into the library. He
deliberately shut the door and came over to the writing-table where I
sat down.
"Well, if I let you go, will you tell her then that you are engaged to
me, and I am going to marry you as soon as possible?"
"No, indeed I won't," I said, decidedly. "I am not going to marry you,
or any one, Mr. Carruthers. What do you think of me? Fancy my consenting
to come back here forever, and live with you, when I don't know you a
bit! And having to put up with your--perhaps--kissing me,
and--and--things of that sort. It is perfectly dreadful to think of!"
He laughed as if in spite of himself. "But supposing I promised not to
kiss you?"
"Even so," I said, and I couldn't help biting the end of my pen. "It
could happen that I might get a feeling I wanted to kiss some one
else--and there it is! Once you're married, everything nice is wrong!"
"Evangeline! I won't let you go--out of my life--you strange little
witch! You have upset me, disturbed me--I can settle to nothing. I seem
to want you so very much."
"Pouf!" I said, and I pouted at him.
"You have everything in your life to fill it--position, riches, friends.
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