WHO IS THE LOVED ONE ? 51 



" Oh, Constance ! " whispered the poor girl in an agony of 

 suspense, " pray tell me, dearest Constance J — your secret shall 

 never pass mv lips ; on my honour, nothing shall wring it from 

 me!" 



" You may guess, dear Blanche, but I dare not tell you the 

 name. Yet," putting her lips close to her ear, she whispered, 

 "the person is in this room." 



" Caroline ? " inquired Blanche. 



" No." 



" Miss Raymond ? " 



" Certainly not." 



" Then it must be one of the Misses Rolleston. 1 fJ 



"Neither of them, my dear. Try again." 



" Miss Gwynne 1 " 



" Very complimentary to William's taste, Blanche ; but you 

 must be quite sure she is not the object of his choice." 



"Who, then, can it be, Constance, as there is only Aunt 

 Gordon and myself left, of the unmarried ladies, in this 

 room 1 " 



"Most likely Aunt Gordon, my love," replied her friend, 

 looking slyly and archly in her face ; " my brother, you know ? 

 is always very attentive to her." 



" Oh, nonsense, Constance ! you are joking now, and laugh- 

 ill's; to think me so credulous." 



" I never was more serious in my life, Blanche ; the choice 

 rests between Aunt Gordon and yourself. I must not compro- 

 mise myself by saying more, except that, however amiable, I 

 know William would never marry a widow. But here comes 

 Selina." 



" Well, children," she exclaimed, " what treason are you 

 two girls concocting by yourselves in this snug corner? 

 Plotting how you can be revenged on that arch-fiend, Dick 

 Vernon, for his insolent behaviour to Blanche at dinner? 

 WJbat was he saying, my dear, to cause such angry looks to 

 flash from those soft, dove-like eves 1 " 



" His remarks are so impertinent sometimes, that I cannot 

 refrain, Selina, from exhibiting some resentment." 



" And quite proper, too, my dear girl ; it is very necessary. 

 for our sex to show men that thus far they may go, but' no 

 farther. Want of dignity and self-respect will always en- 

 courage such fops as Vernon to become troublesome, if not 

 something more ; so let him know, for the future, that he is to 

 keep at a respectful distance." 



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