"Oh, do please leave me alone; I shall feel better here," pleaded Kate.
"Nonsense, Kate, a cup of tea will do you good," said Bella impatiently.
"But you forget I have lost my purse, and have no money to pay for it," replied Kate, a little bitterly.
"But I told you that did not matter," interposed the young man again; "my purse is at your service. I will give it you, if you like—if you will only laugh and chat as you did on board the steamer."
Kate smiled, and thanked him, but declined to accept either purse or tea from him.
"You are almost a stranger to me, and I feel vexed that you should have had to pay for my steamboat ticket," she said.
"Oh, Kate, how rude you are," said Marion, crossly; "there, come along to tea, and I will pay for it, if you will not accept William's kindness."
"I cannot," said Kate; "and I would much rather stay here than go to a tea I cannot pay for."
"Well, you shall pay me back, if you like—if that will satisfy you," said Marion, impatiently; and Kate reluctantly rose from her seat, and followed the rest, who had already turned in the direction of the park gates.
Marion and the rest seemed to enjoy their tea, and laughed and chatted, and tried to rouse Kate into something like merriment too, but Kate felt too anxious and unhappy to laugh at anything—even the poor jokes and witticisms of William although they were made for her special benefit and which afforded her so much amusement when they first started.