"  Poor  fellow !  well,  but  I  have  known  her  longer  than
you."

"  That  is  true,  sir."

"  And  on  closer  terms  of  intimacy."

"No  doubt,  sir."

"Then  listen  to  me.  She  is  all  very  charming,  out-
side :  and  full  of  sensibility,  outside ;  but  she  has  no
more  real  feeling  than  a  fish.  She  will  go  a  certain
length  with  you,  or  with  any  agreeable  young  man ;  but
she  can  always  stop  where  it  suits  her.  No  lady  in  Eng-
land values  position  and  luxury  more  than  she  does,  or
is  less  likely  to  sacrifice  them  to  love,  a  passion  she  is
incapable  of.  Here,  then,  is  a  game  at  which  you  run  all
the  risk.  No !  leave  her  to  puppies  like  Kenealy ;  they
are  her  natural  prey.  You  must  not  play  such  a  heart  as
yours  against  a  marble-taw.     It  is  not  an  even  stake."

David  groaned  audibly.  His  first  thought  was  :  "  Eve
says  the  same  of  her."  His  second:  "All  the  world  is
against  her,  poor  thing."

"  Is  she  to  bear  the  blame  of  my  folly  ?  "

"Why  not?  She  is  the  cause  of  your  folly.  It
began  with  her  setting  her  cap  at  you."

"No,  sir,  you  do  her  wrong.     She  is  modesty  itself."

"  Ta,  ta,  ta !  you  are  a  sailor,  green  as  sea^weed."

"  Mr.  Bazalgette,  as  I  am  a  gentleman,  she  never  has
encouraged  me  to  love  her  as  I  do."

"  Your  statement,  sir,  is  one  which  becomes  a  gentle-
man—  under  the  circumstances.  But  I  happen  to  have
watched  her.  It  is  a  thing  I  have  taken  the  trouble  to
do  for  some  time  past.  It  was  my  interest  in  you  that
made  me  curious,  and  apprehensive  —  on  your  account."

"  Then  if  you  have  watched  her  you  must  have  seen
her  avoid  me."

"  Pooh !  pooh !  that  was  drawing  the  bait ;  these  old
stagers  can  all  do  that."


LOVE  ME  LITTLE,   LOVE  ME  LONG.  327

"Old  stagers!"  and  David  looked  as  if  blasphemy
had  been  uttered.  Bazalgette  wore  a  grin  of  infinite
irony.
