A Houseful of Girls

to the still more agitated suitor; and after assuring him of the paternal good-will, had turned him over to the daugh

way to the first cowardly instinct of seeking to shirk the ordeal. If a girl was old enough to receive an offer of marriage, she was old enough to answer it for herself in person. It was the least return she could make for the high compliment

to provoke it, so that the reckless compliment-payer was but receiving his deserts in an unconditional refusal. It

commonplace wooer-anything save their idea of a lover and hero. They keenly took note of him from an upper window as he walked with a certain studied composure, yet with a blankness of aspect, through the shrubbery. They even deigned-Annie as well

emning the cruel conduct of the Roman dames, who contemplated with zest the deadly contests of the gladiators

him-an inference in which he was quite correct. For Bella was older than the unseen "chorus" on the landing, who did not think of pitying him. She had seen more of the world, and was better acquainted with its cares and troubles. She called him in her own mind "the poo

contrary, they had difficulty in restraining merry little titters, though Annie did take herself to task and m

ed the visitor into the drawing-room in order to administer the coup de grace. It might have been a veritable dagger-thrust to be dea

ora to have to inflict real pain and bitter disappointment, to be condemned to kill a man's faith in woman, perhaps, certainly to murder his peace and happiness for the present, to extingui

inary circumstance, the feather in her cap, as so many girls would have regarded it, of Dora, having to receive and refuse an offer of marriage. Why, she-Annie-and her sisters, including Dora herself, had been much diverted by it, as well as interested in it, until the dramatic crisis had somehow taken their breath away also, and startled them by a glimpse of the other side of the question. But though Annie strove to recover her equanimity, and Rose tr

ice with small variation on the words, "Will you not think of it, Dora? Can you no

Of course, I am very much obliged to you for thinking a great deal more of me than I deserve. But, indeed, indeed, it

at this moment-and-and the idea does not seem so absurd to me; but I will not distress you by forcing m

ou like, after what has happened. I know I don't deserve your friendship; but, indeed, I could not help it, Mr. Robins

am not blaming you. I shall count it a favour, an hon

y much," she m

?" He took a small case from his waistcoat pocket, opened i

put her hands behind her back in her confusion and dismay. "I could not; I ought not. It is far too costly

se, shaped like a tiny gold box, from the watch-chain at which he wore it. "Will y

on't like to deprive you of what was your moth

are," h

he room, not crying, but paler than before, she had the vinaigrette case cla

Millar to cry under her breath, "Come away. It is not fair to spy upon him. I'll never want to see anyb

isturbed Annie. "He may hear you. School-girls like you

interrogating the world in an abstract fashion. She was herself again o

sob, "and he was so good-natured. He promised onl

Mr. Tom Robinson, he is cut up just now, of course; but he will soon get over it. How long does it take a man to forget, Annie? Anyhow, presently he will be busily directing his attentions in another quarter, until the day may com

ose, like everybody else now-a-days, and I hat

h me, Annie?" Rose m

ot think where you have got your experience, any more than your slang, unless

d elder-sisterish," was

n public, Annie, who shared her sister's

er? It can't be, no," rousing herself, "it can not be-you don't mean that you

a queer, gray shade came over his face, though I durst hardly look at him;

Annie, smiling to herself; "bu

e as cold

t is only the m

he lost both his father and moth

elp that, and many men, young men especially, se

ned, whether it was an integral part of Annie, or whether, as in the case of some valuable kinds of timber, it was m

Robinson will do very well-all the better, perhaps, because he has no ambi

love or proposed to them, even though the women have rejected the men-as in a sense their property, if not their prey, so as not by any means to relish the men's depreciation

he worked with Mr. Robinson in getting up the bill to lay before Parliament for closing the old churchyard, he could not have desired a more intelligent, diligent fellow-worker. All the salesmen and women at 'Robinson's' have been well

is wise enough to keep to her proper sphere. They say she is a distant relation of Tom Robinson's-you see

she recovered breath and words. "She's forty if she's a day; and she

ay be allowed to say; and I have noticed that shopkeepers are apt to marry women older th

iage," retorted Dora; "for the first Mrs. Robinson was the daughter of a curate, and th

a to me, or what am I to Hec

shopkeepers, as you must be aware, Annie. Father says old Mr. Robinson was a

d all that kind of thing, do it if you like, nobody will hinder you. Call him back if you care to, I dare say it is still possible if you are willing to make the concession. But oh, Dora!" appealed Annie, who had talked herself wide awake by this time, "don't forget the loss of position involved in really keeping a shop, however eccentric and meritorious a man's intentions may be. Why, he had better become a stonemason or a ploughman, if he is to do the thing at all; far better a gamekeeper or a

Dora hotly and huffily. "I am not going to marry Tom Ro

e that had any pretensions to being gentle-folks would care to be mixed up with our brother-in-law the linen-draper? And it is not as if the temptation were great; I cannot see wherein the attraction lies; but instead of letting it beset

d make it possible for a girl to give up her family in order to belong to him; and even if there had been no 'Robinson's' to shock you, I do not care the

come to an end, "you will get rid of your pity as quickly as you can. It is not your pity which he seeks-very likely he would ra