What she had to say was said quickly. She spoke in a whisper, bringing
her lips close to his ear, and lifting her eyes imploringly to his when
she had finished.
"Upon my word, miss," he exclaimed, aloud, and he held her from him and
looked at her till the colour rushed in beautiful blushes even to her
temples, and her lashes were wet with tears, and her cheeks dimpled with
smiles. "Upon my word--and you make such a request to me--to me, who
have a character to maintain, and who have daughters of my own to whom I
am bound to set a good example! Patterson, come here. Can you imagine
what this young lady wants me to do for her now? She is twenty-one
to-day, she tells me, and she wants me to ask you to marry her. She says
she will never marry anyone else." Then, as I hung back a little, dazed,
fearful, and unable to credit the evidence of my senses, he added:
"Take her; she means it every word, and you deserve to have her. If she
had chosen anybody else I would never have drawn out her settlements."
But I would not take her, not then. Standing there with the spring
landscape blurred for the moment before me, I tried to tell them both
what I felt. At first, my words were low and broken, for the change from
misery to happiness affected me almost as though I had been suddenly
plunged from happiness into despair.
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