sat before me whipped with his own lash. His temerity had been
stupid and obstinate; I could not regret his punishment.

I kept him waiting long enough to think all this, and then I
replied, 'I have not the least means of knowing.'

I can not say what he expected, but he squared his shoulders as if
he had received a blow and might receive another. Then he looked at
me with a flash of the old indignation. 'You are not near enough to
her for that!' he exclaimed.

'I am not near enough to her for that.'

Silence fell between us. A crow perched upon an opened venetian and
cawed lustily. For years afterward I never heard a crow caw without
a sense of vain, distressing experiment. Dacres got up and began to
walk about the room. I very soon put a stop to that. 'I can't talk
to a pendulum,' I said, but I could not persuade him to sit down
again.

'Candidly,' he said at length, 'do you think she would have me?'

'I regret to say that I think she would. But you would not dream of
asking her.'

'Why not? She is a dear girl,' he responded inconsequently.

'You could not possibly stand it.'

Then Mr. Tottenham delivered himself of this remarkable phrase: 'I