ingenuousness, her high spirits, might actually become his wife in the
course of a few months.

A few months! She might be prevailed upon to marry him within the next
few weeks. What cause could there possibly be for delay? Surely he
was entitled to please himself! Absurd to imagine that a man of his
age must regulate his life to please a slip of a girl like Carrissima,
or a solemn young puritan like Lawrence!

When Colonel Faversham arrived at Golfney Place on Thursday morning,
Bridget was wearing a new frock; quite light, almost white, in fact,
and setting off her slender figure to the most admirable advantage.
How many new frocks he had seen her wearing, Colonel Faversham found it
difficult to count. The crocodile-hide dressing-bag stood ominously on
the table, and, by way of a greeting, she reminded him that he had been
asked to send for it.

"Confound the bag!" he retorted. "If you won't keep the thing, pitch
it in the dusthole. Bridget," he continued, standing close by her
side, "I want you to accept all I have in the world and myself into the
bargain. I am not going to blow my own trumpet. Thank goodness I was
never that sort of man! I wish I were a boy just because you're a
girl, but if you'll take me as I am, you'll make me the happiest man in
the world, and I'll do my best to see you never regret it."

"I shan't pretend that you've taken me entirely by surprise," said
Bridget.

"Surprise!" exclaimed Colonel Faversham. "No one could have shown much
more plainly what he wanted. There's not much shilly-shally about me.