"Mr. Caradoc," interrupted the girl, now blushing furiously behind her fan, "your moments will soon become minutes!"
"Would that the minutes might become hours, and the hours, days and years, could I but spend them with you! Listen to me, Miss Lloyd--"
"Not at present--do, pray, excuse me--I wish to speak with Dora."
But instead of having her hand released, it was now pressed by Caradoc between both of his.
"I will not detain you very long," said he, sadly, almost reproachfully; "you know that I love you; every time my eyes have met yours, every time I have spoken, my voice must have told you that I do dearly, and if the fondest emotions of my heart--"
"A soldier's heart, of which little scraps and shreds have been left in every garrison town?"
"Do not laugh at my honest earnestness!" urged Caradoc, with a deep sigh.
"Pardon me, I do not laugh; O think not that I could be guilty of such a thing!" replied Winifred, colouring deeper than ever.
Beautiful though she was, and well dowered too, this was the first proposal or declaration that had been made to her. The speaker was eminently handsome, his voice and eyes were full of passion and earnestness, and she could not hear him without a thrill of pleasure and esteem.
"I know that I am not worthy of you, perhaps; but--"