You  don't  mean  to  say — ^you  dare  not  tell  me,  that  you  will
marry  her ! "

"  I  dare  not  tell  you  !  "  said  Tom,  starting  up  in  his  turn  ;
"I  dare  tell  you  or  any  man  anything  I  please.  But  I  won't
tell  you  or  any  man  anything  on  compulsion."

"I  repeat,"  went  on  Hardy,  "you  dare  not  say  you  mean  to
many  her.  You  don't  mean  it — and,  as  you  don't,  to  kiss  her
as  you  did  to-night "

"  So  you  were  sneaking  behind  to  watch  me,"  burst  out
Tom,  chafing  with  rage,  and  glad  to  find  any  handle  for  a
quarrel.  The  two  men  stood  fronting  one  another,  the  young-
er writhing  with  the  sense  of  shame  and  outraged  pride,  and
longing  for  a  fierce  answer,  a  blow,  anything  to  give  vent  to
the  furies  which  were  tearing  him.
But  at  the  end  of  a  few  seconds  the  elder  answered,  calmly
and  slowly  :

"  I  will  not  take  those  words  from  any  man  ;  you  had  better
leave  my  rooms."

"  If  I  do  I  shall  not  come  back  till  you  have  altered  your
opinions."


llrO  TOM   BEOWIJ   A-r   OX]?OED.
"You  need  not  come  back  till  you  have  altered  yours."

The  next  moment  Tom  was  in  the  passage  ;  the  next,  strid-
ing up  and  down  the  side  of  the  inner  quadrangle  in  the  pale
moonlight.
Poor  fellow !  it  was  no  pleasant  walking-ground  for  him.
