'And not hate it all, nor go away?'
'Never, while you bid me stay.'
He broke off as steps came along the passage, and a maid's knock, and 'Mr. Rupert Cheviot is in the drawing-room, ma'am.'
'Miss May is out,' said Gertrude emphatically.
The maid had sentiment enough to abstain from saying he had asked for both sisters, but the next moment she returned to say he had asked for Miss Gertrude.
'Tell him I am particularly engaged,' she said, leaping up indignantly. 'Aye!' she exclaimed, 'I will be delivered from that prig of Tom's. He shall never pester me more.'
'There is an effectual way of preventing that,' said Lance, with a lurking smile.
'Well, I suppose it must come to that sooner or later, and I do trust you not to tease and bother.'
'I will strive to make your feeling the rule, not of mine, but of my demonstration of it,' said Lance, tingling all over with suppressed ecstasy; 'that is, as far as I can help.'
'I can't understand your liking it! An old, dry, used-up heart!'