"Oh, I am not blind! I know you are in love with her. Your devotion is quite useless, as you can see from her demeanour. She----"
"That is innocence," he interrupted roughly. "She does not know the meaning of love. She has never thought of marriage. I do not--I cannot believe that she is engaged. Her whole life gives the lie to such an assertion."
"You are discourteous."
"I beg your pardon, I did not mean to be so," he replied apologetically; "but it is impossible. You must be mistaken."
"Ask Mr. Byrne of Silkstone if I am mistaken. Meg may deny it, but he----"
"Why should she deny it? If she is engaged to be married to this Silkstone man of whom you speak, there is no necessity to keep it secret. But I tell you it cannot be. If it were so she would have told me. She is an innocent child, who cannot keep a secret."
"She kept this one, however."
"Moreover, Mr. Jarner would have told me," said Dan, not heeding the taunt.
Miss Linisfarne lost her temper. She had counted on resistance, but not on such a stubborn defence of Meg. Rising with flashing eyes, she stepped up to Dan, and, throwing aside all restraint, burst out into rapid speech. It was not wise for her to do so, but her love and jealousy carried her away, and she spoke wildly, madly--as she never would have spoken had she reflected for a moment.
"Are you blind, sir, that you so believe in this girl? I tell you, she is engaged to be married. She does not love you--she will never love you. Why should you lay your heart at her feet only to find it spurned? Give it to me--I say, give it to me."