"That you were desperately in love with me, and that I was your sweetheart, as the children say."
And Mr. Ralph gently caressed the downy covering of his chin, and smiled.
"What a conceited thing you are," said Fanny, laughing; "you are outrageous."
And having uttered this opinion, Miss Fanny's eyes suddenly fell, and her merry cheek colored. The truth was simply, that Ralph had been a frank, good-humored, gallant boy, and the neighbors had said, that he was Fanny's "sweetheart;" and the remembrance of this former imputation now embarrassed the nearly-grown-up young lady. No one could remain embarrassed in Mr. Ralph's society long however; there was so much careless ease in his demeanor, that it was contagious, and so Fanny in a moment had regained all her self-possession, and returned the languishing glances of her admirer with her habitual expression of satirical humor.
"Yes, perfectly outrageous!" she said; "and college has positively ruined you—you cannot deny it."
"Ruined me?"
"Wholly."
"On the contrary, it has greatly improved me, my dearest."
And Ralph sat down on the trellised portico, stretching out his elegant rosetted shoes, and laughing.
"I am not your dearest," said Fanny; "that is not my name."