"Then you have no room for a quarrel with her; rather should your sympathy be on her side. All her happiness is set on Eustace; he is her true lover, has been for years,--and I have resolved so to aid her, that you and Aunt Clevering shall not break her heart by a cruel and useless separation." She stepped back and threw up her head; just so had she looked a year ago, when she bade defiance to the short colonel while he himself crouched in her shadowy garret. For a moment they gazed at each other steadily, then she was again beside him, her eyes luminous with a gentle entreaty:-- "Richard, if--if I loved you with all my soul, would you let my mother's dislike, if she did dislike you, stand between us?" "My God, no!" "Eustace is a man like you--and Betty loves him like that." He saw the drift of her meaning but he did not answer, and thus for another minute they looked into each other's eyes unwaveringly; then his gaze fell, and with a sudden delicious softening of manner, she stooped and took his hand. "Richard, Eustace is yonder in my parlour,--come back like a brave man to begin life all over, and suffer anything to be near Betty. He has been denied entrance at your door. Bid me bring him here to you. If not--then will I take Betty to him, even though I should thus lose yours and Aunt Clevering's friendship forever." "You make hard terms." "I am dealing with a hard man." "Think you so, sweetheart? Methought I had ever been gentle to you. Betty's happiness is very dear to me--" he broke off, sighing. She still held his hand, or rather he held hers, for his was the stronger grasp. Suddenly, with that same enchanting gentleness, she bent close to him, and laid her cheek against his tingling fingers:-- "Thank you, Richard, for yielding; I knew when once you understood, you could not be so cruel as to refuse. I will bring Eustace at once." "But, Joscelyn, I did not say--" "Oh, but you looked your consent--and I never saw your eyes so beautiful, such a tender gray." He flushed with pleasure, still, however, protesting; but she was already at the door, whence she looked back at him with a roguish smile, "I shall give you half an hour to make Aunt Clevering see things as we do. At the end of that time I will be here with Eustace; and if you wish to go on being friends with me, be sure to have on your very best manners and--and that beautiful light in your eyes."