"Certainly, madame. You can not suppose that I am going to remain single, and resign my birthright to you or any one?"—sarcastically.
"I scarcely thought you such a fool," she said, tartly; adding: "But I consider your behavior very strange. You are not yet engaged that I know of, and the bride ought to have more than three weeks to prepare her trousseau."
"That is all nonsense about an elaborate trousseau. She will need only a wedding and traveling-gown, and the other finery can be bought while we are on our wedding-tour in Paris," he returned, airily.
She exclaimed, suspiciously:
"Perhaps you are engaged already to some grand foreign lady, and intend to return to Europe in time to marry her on your birthday?"
"You are mistaken, madame. There is no girl in the world for me but one of our lovely Americans. That is why I came home from my wanderings. I wanted to choose one of my own beautiful country women to be my bride."
"I applaud your taste," she smiled. "I have traveled over the whole world, but I found no women as charming as the Americans; and I am glad you will choose one to reign at Ellsworth. But have you made your choice?"
"Ah, madame! that is hard to do among so many lovely girls," he replied, evasively.
She studied him gravely a moment, then exclaimed, boldly:
"I wish you would make your choice between my nieces, Olive and Ela."