"You're rich, not over old, handsome, well born, well bred, and have
saved the lady's life by extricating her from the crater of a volcano.
She seems too young and childlike to have had any other affairs. She's
probably just out of school; not been into society; not come out; just
the girl. Confound these girls, I say, that have gone through
engagements with other fellows!"

"Oh, as to that," said Dacres, "this little thing is just like a
child, and in her very simplicity does not know what love is.
Engagement! By Jove, I don't believe she knows the meaning of the
word! She's perfectly fresh, artless, simple, and guileless. I don't
believe she ever heard a word of sentiment or tenderness from any man
in her life."

"Very likely; so where's the difficulty?"

"Well, to tell the truth, the difficulty is in my own affairs."

"Your affairs! Odd, too. What's up? I didn't know any thing had
happened. That's too infernal bad, too."

"Oh, it's nothing of that sort; money's all right; no swindle. It's an
affair of another character altogether."

"Oh!"

"And one, too, that makes me think that--"

He hesitated.