“Pray don’t think of me any longer.”
“In your situation! who else am I to think of?”
Anne laid her hand earnestly on his arm, and answered:
“Blanche!”
“Blanche?” repeated Arnold, utterly at a loss to understand her.
“Yes—Blanche. She found time to tell me what had passed between you this morning before I left Windygates. I know you have made her an offer: I know you are engaged to be married to her.”
Arnold was delighted to hear it. He had been merely unwilling to leave her thus far. He was absolutely determined to stay with her now.
“Don’t expect me to go after that!” he said. “Come and sit down again, and let’s talk about Blanche.”
Anne declined impatiently, by a gesture. Arnold was too deeply interested in the new topic to take any notice of it.
“You know all about her habits and her tastes,” he went on, “and what she likes, and what she dislikes. It’s most important that I should talk to you about her. When we are husband and wife, Blanche is to have all her own way in every thing. That’s my idea of the Whole Duty of Man—when Man is married. You are still standing? Let me give you a chair.”