And he walked away over the rough grass, and began to look out to sea on his own account. Ella, in spite of the “serious things” which had occupied her thoughts, was forced to turn her attention to this importunate and foolish person close at hand, and she did so with a much graver countenance than was her wont in matters relating to him. The fact was that this unexpected threat of withdrawing his despised attentions woke her suddenly to the fact that she should miss them. Ella discovered all at once that she was not so insensible as she had imagined to the ordinary feminine pleasure in the possession of a devoted slave. Even a Clarence who occasionally talked nonsense would be better than no Clarence at all. Some expression of these conclusions found its way to her face, for the crestfallen swain was emboldened by her glance to draw near her again. She said no kind word however, and he was afraid that further pleading at the moment might be injudicious, so they stood very quietly side by side until Ella broke out vehemently: “I wish I had twenty thousand pounds!” The wish and the fiery manner in which it was uttered took Clarence so completely by surprise that instead of assuring her that she had only to say the word, and he would lay that sum at her feet, as perhaps she had expected of the impulsive little Irishman, he only said simply: “What for?” “To throw into the sea,” was her surprising answer. He laughed, supposing that this was a faint sort of joke. “I mean it,” she added gravely. “I can get five thousand pounds of my fortune from papa, but I want twenty thousand more.” “But what a strange use for it; you are not in earnest about that!” “Oh, yes, but I am.” “Well, if anybody were to offer you twenty thousand pounds, what would you say to--him?” “I should say, Thank you.” “Prettily?” Ella paused. He was bending his head to look into her eyes, and putting into that word a great deal of impertinent meaning. Then she flashed up into his face a grand glance full of magnificent haughtiness. “Of course, because I am not handsome, you think I ought to jump at you!” “Oh, no, I don’t. But whether you jump at me or away from me, you shall have the twenty thousand pounds.” “What, without knowing what I am going to do with it?” “You said you wanted it to throw into the sea.” “Oh, yes, yes, so I do. But supposing I were to throw it to another man--a _merman_, for example?” Clarence winced. “Whatever you do is right, Ella,” he said, at last. “You can throw it to whoever or whatever you like.” “When can I have it?” “I shall have to go up to town. I can raise it by next week.” Ella put her hand on his arm impulsively. “You’re a good fellow,” she said, in a very sweet voice.