'We know all that,' said Alda, drawing herself away rather sharply from the caressing hand, 'and therefore I must think for you, and I will not be the means of lowering your position in life.'
'Alda, dearest!' cried Ferdinand, glancing at Felix in such genuine distress as made him interfere in pity.
'We understand about position, Ferdinand; and you and Alda have been able to observe how far life is enjoyable in this lowered position.'
'Felix,' said Alda, who had evidently wound herself up for this crisis, 'you know very well that you stand quite out of common rules; but I am sure you can see that however valuable your work may be, it would be wrong to draw Ferdinand to the same level.'
'As for that,' said Ferdinand moodily, yet with the air of a banished prince, 'Felix knows what my father was; and if I knew that my grandfather was an honest man, it would be well. A stray wanderer, cast up at your door, has no right to talk of levels.'
'You are not to talk,' said Alda, more affectionately. 'You are too generous to be allowed to think.'
'In plain English, Alda,' said her brother, 'the objection is yours.'
'I cannot see him sacrifice himself for my sake,' said Alda.
'As though it could be a sacrifice!' exclaimed Ferdinand, 'when it opens the way to make you my own at once, my peerless beauty! If you—'
'Come, we have had all this over before,' said Alda, shrinking a little petulantly as he hovered over her, speaking with the fervour of his Mexican nature, and his eyes glowing with eagerness; 'if you will not have common sense, I must.'