"I hope he gave me a good character."
"Your character needs no giving; it is written in your face."
He spoke in a lower and more hurried tone, and she once again raised her eyes to his in surprise.
"Is it true? what does he mean when he says your future is arranged for? Is there any one?" he brought out in quick agitated tones. Margaret was startled; if her uncle had said this, he meant it, and she knew enough of his will to dread having to submit to any thing he chose for her.
Her whole being rose in protest:
"My life is not arranged for, though I do not know what those words mean, and there is no one," she added very vehemently.
He saw how true her words were, and he hurried on afraid of losing courage, of not being able to say what he wanted to say, if he paused.
"Margaret," he said in a tone that compelled her attention, and trying to raise himself as he read her face. "If you have no one, if there is no one, if you are free to be won, may I not try and win you?"
Poor Margaret shrank back.
"No!" she said, breathlessly, "oh! no!"