He looked very uncomfortable as he answered—
“I know that I must seem a dreadful brute to you. I daresay I am; but, Miss Terry, it would, under all the circumstances, be much more to the point, if you insisted on Mildred’s marrying me.”
“I dare not. You do not know Mildred. She would never submit to it from me.”
“Then I must; and, what is more, I will do it now.”
“Thank you, Arthur, thank you. I cannot tell you how grateful I am to you.”
“There is no need to be grateful to the author of this mischief.”
“And supposing she refuses—what will you do then?”
“Then I think that I shall go away at once. Hush! here she comes.”
“Well, Arthur, what are you and Agatha plotting together? You both look serious enough.”
“Nothing, Mildred—that is, only another sea-voyage.”