Well, if it _is_ all over, so much to the good. But as for this girl sitting near him, if he must take her to be his wife, it shall be at least in good faith. She shall know all. Probably she will refuse him. For one thing, because he is ten years older than she is--a century in the eyes of a child of seventeen; and, for another, because she may not like him at all. For all he knows, she may hate him as she hates her uncle George, in certain ways. However it is, he will tell her that he has no love for her. It shall be all fair and above-board between them. He can give her a title. She can give him money, without which the title would be useless. On the instant he makes up his mind to risk the proposal. In all probability she will say "No" to it. But if not--if she accepts him--he swears to himself he will be true to her. "The most dreadful thing you could do," says he, "would be to marry a man who did not love you." "Eh?" says she. She seems surprised. "To marry a man, then, with whom you weren't in love!" "Oh, _that_, that's nothing," says she grandly. "I'd do a great deal more than _that_ to get away from my uncle. But"--sorrowfully-- "nobody's asked me." She says it so innocently, so sweetly, that Rylton's heart grows cold within him. To ask her! To tempt this child---- "But," says he, looking away from her religiously, "would you marry a man who was not in love with _you?"_ "Not in love with me?" "No. Not actually in love, but who admired--liked you?" "But a man who wasn't in love with me wouldn't want to marry me," says Tita. "At least, that's what the novels say." "He might," says Rylton deliberately. He leans forward. "Will you marry _me?"_ He almost laughs aloud as he makes his extraordinary proposal. If it fails, as it certainly _must_, he will throw up the remnant of his life here and go abroad. And, at all events, he can so far satisfy his mother as to assure her that he had placed his all at this little heiress's feet. "You! You!" says she. She stares at him. "Even me! You said a moment ago that no man would ask you to marry him for any reason less than love; but I--I am not in love with you, and yet I ask you to marry me." He pauses here, shocked at his own words, his brutal audacity. "But why?" asks the girl slowly. She is looking at him, deep inquiry and wonder in her great gray eyes. "Because I am poor and you are rich," says he honestly. "Your money could redeem this old place, and I could give you a title--a small thing, no doubt." "You could take me away from my uncle," says the girl thoughtfully. There is silence for awhile, and then--"I should be able to do as I liked," says she, as if communing with herself. "That certainly," says Rylton, who feels as if all things should be allowed her at this juncture, considering how little it is in his power to allow. "And you?" She looks up at him. _"You_ could do as you liked, too!" "Thank you!" says Rylton.