"Yes, as so true a friend of Johanna's, he will be more than glad; he will be delighted."
"Delighted?"
"Do you doubt the Colonel's friendly feeling towards you?"
"Oh no—no. I—no—certainly not."
"Then let me beg of you to come."
"No. Not now; I will go home. It will look particular for me to go to the garden to meet him."
"It will look much more particular to refuse, I think, Miss Wilmot. You are with me, and with your old friend, and Johanna's relative, Mr. a—a—"
"They calls me Ben."
"Mr. Ben; and so you cannot refuse," he said, "to go to meet Colonel Jeffery, you know. Come, come, I pray you come. Indeed, I know the Colonel wishes to speak to you; and as it would be obviously out of order for him to call upon you, I think you ought, seeing that you're not alone, to give him, as a gentleman of wealth and honour, this opportunity of doing so."
"You say, he wishes to speak to me?"