"You may be sure I have extended her no invitation. I suppose she thinks she can deal with me as before. If she can come unbidden, I am a very weak man, if I cannot act the part of an hospitable host."
"There must be some mistake here; Clarissa is too proud to place herself in such a place. She does not know whom you are."
"Why doesn't she? She went to Dr. Baxter and solicited his influence to do for her what she knew I would not."
"My poor old brain is numb; but I know that Clarissa has some motive good and true, or she would not humble herself to you. I know she thinks by bending her pride, you will forget and forgive. She knows you too well to believe you will seek her, although we all were to die of lonesomeness and sorrow. That is the way she used to do when she was small. Be imperious and wilful as a little queen, then come and—"
"There,—reminiscences are not interesting to me. They might be to her. You have the privilege to choose between her and me, as you did once before. There will be the same conditions attached to the bargain. You cannot serve both. Consider yourself entirely free to choose. You have served me well—I appreciate your faithfulness, but could not hope to vie—"
"Do not say any more,—my head is going round and round. Won't you tell me why she is coming here?"
"I have told you."
"Master, you do not think that is the only reason? I know she is hungry to see you. You will not go to her, so she is coming to you. She is proud, and must have suffered awfully before she could do it. When you see her, you will forget what she did, same as I used to when she had picked all my choice—"
"Enough. There is not the slightest resemblance between a man's heart and a flower, though she does seem to think so. I told you Merle was sick, and you professed to be sorry, as you said you thought him to be an unusually fine young man."
"I meant it. He is, next to yourself, the best man I ever saw."