"I do not know why that should make you happy. I always behave much better when I am with Miss Hastings than when I am alone." "You are always charming," he said. "I want to ask you something, Miss Darrell. Be kind, be patient, and listen to me." "I am neither kind nor patient by nature," she returned; "what have you to say?" It was very difficult, he felt, to be sentimental with her. She had turned to the window, and was looking out again at the flowers; one little white hand played impatiently with a branch of guelder roses that came peeping in. "I am jealous of those flowers," said the captain; "will you look at me instead of them?" She raised her beautiful eyes, and looked at him so calmly, with so much conscious superiority in her manner, that the captain felt "smaller" than ever. "You are talking nonsense to me," she said, loftily; "and as I do not like nonsense, will you tell me what you have to say?" The voice was calm and cold, the tones measured and slightly contemptuous; it was very difficult under such circumstances to be an eloquent wooer, but the recollection of Darrell Court and its large rent-roll came to him and restored his fast expiring courage. "I want to ask a favor of you," he said; and the pleading expression that he managed to throw into his face was really creditable to him. "I want to ask you if you will be a little kinder to me. I admire you so much that I should be the happiest man in all the world if you would but give me ever so little of your friendship." She seemed to consider his words--to ponder them; and from her silence he took hope. "I am quite unworthy, I know; but, if you knew how all my life long I have desired the friendship of a good and noble woman, you would be kinder to me--you would indeed!" "Do you think, then, that I am good and noble?" she asked. "I am sure of it; your face----" "I wish," she interrupted, "that Sir Oswald were of your opinion. You have lived in what people call 'the world' all your life, Captain Langton, I suppose?" "Yes," he replied, wondering what would follow. "You have been in society all that time, yet I am the first 'good and noble woman' you have met! You are hardly complimentary to the sex, after all." The captain was slightly taken aback. "I did not say those exact words, Miss Darrell." "But you implied them. Tell me why you wish for my friendship more than any other. Miss Hastings is ten thousand times more estimable than I am--why not make her your friend?" "I admire you--I like you. I could say more, but I dare not. You are hard upon me, Miss Darrell." "I have no wish to be hard," she returned. "Who am I that I should be hard upon any one? But, you see, I am unfortunately what people call very plain-spoken--very truthful." "So much the better," said Captain Langton. "Is it? Sir Oswald says not. If he does not make me his heiress, it will be because I have such an abrupt manner of speaking; he often tells me so."