“Yes, and if you were to be such a goose as to write me another letter proposing absurdities to me—”
“Would the answer be different?”
“Very different.”
“Oh, Barbara, would you accept?”
“Why, of course not; but I would refuse civilly!”
“Ah!”
“There, don't sigh; I hate a sighing man. I'll tell you something that I know will make you laugh.” She then smiled saucily in his face, and said, “Do you remember Mr.——?”
L'effronte'e! this was the earnest man. But Ipsden was a match for her this time. “I think I do,” said he; “a gentleman who wants to make John Bull little again into John Calf; but it won't do.”
Her ladyship laughed. “Why did you not tell us that on Inch Coombe?”
“Because I had not read The Catspaw then.”