before which she turned cold.

The girl asked her brother that evening if THAT wasn't tantamount to
an announcement. He looked at her queerly and then said: "I'VE been
to see her."

"What on earth did you do that for?"

"Father told me he wished it."

"Then he HAS told you?"

"Told me what?" Godfrey asked while her heart sank with the sense of
his making difficulties for her.

"That they're engaged, of course. What else can all this mean?"

"He didn't tell me that, but I like her."

"LIKE her!" the girl shrieked.

"She's very kind, very good."

"To thrust herself upon us when we hate her? Is that what you call
kind? Is that what you call decent?"

"Oh _I_ don't hate her"--and he turned away as if she bored him.

She called the next day on Mrs. Churchley, designing to break out
somehow, to plead, to appeal--"Oh spare us! have mercy on us! let him