me for not sayin' so long ago, when you were good enough to admit me here
on an intimate footin'. It was a shabby, dishonorable thing of me, and I
hope you'll forgive it, rememberin' that it was not my intention to
deceive you," said Mr. Ramsay. "It wasn't, now, really."

"But, my dear fellow, of what are you accusing yourself? There must be
some mistake. What has that got to do with your visits here?" asked Mr.
Brown.

"Why, don't you see?--don't you object to me bein' thrown so much with
Miss Brown, under the circumstances?" stammered out Mr. Ramsay.

"Not the least in the world,--not the least in the world, I assure you.
Delighted to see you, I am sure, whenever you like to come," said Mr.
Brown, with hospitable warmth. "Why should I? There is no necessity for
your marrying anybody, that I can see. What put such a foolish idea in
your head?"

"But I thought you would think--she would think I thought--that is--as you
might say--"

A hearty laugh from Mr. Brown interrupted him: "Why, you seem to have
thought a good deal on the subject. The most extraordinary idea! Excuse my
saying so. This house is always full of young men dancing attendance on
Bijou, who is as popular a girl as there is; but I don't trouble _my_ head
about them, I can assure you. No, indeed. Half of them don't want to marry
Bijou, and she don't want to marry any of them that I know of. And I guess
I shall be told when the affair comes off, so that I can order the
wedding-cake. Why, they are just all young people together. It don't mean
anything. They just naturally like each other's society. They are amusing