It was a horribly rude speech, as she well knew. But Pence had a way of irritating her beyond all endurance, and the mere sight of him was sufficient to set her teeth on edge for the day. It was intolerable that he should intrude on her privacy now, when she particularly wished to be alone. She intimated as much by turning away with a displeased air, and walked for a short distance along the bank path leading to Mrs. Tunks' hut. But Silas, absolutely ignorant of the feminine nature, and entirely devoid of diplomacy, persisted in thrusting his company upon her. Bella turned sharply, when she heard Silas breathing hard behind her, and spoke with marked indignation. "I wish to be alone, if you please," she declared, flushing. "Ah, no; ah, no," remonstrated Pence, stupidly. "Allow me to comfort you." "You cannot," she retorted, marvelling at his density. "Allow me to try. I was on the point of calling at the house to----" Bella interrupted him cruelly. "You can call there still, Mr. Pence, and my aunt will be glad to see you. She has Mr. Vand to tea, so you will find yourself in congenial company." "Your company is congenial enough for me." "That is very flattering, but I prefer to be alone." Silas, however, declined to be shaken off, and his reproachful looks so exasperated Bella that she felt inclined to thrust him into the water. And his speech was even more irritating than his manner. "Let me soothe you, my dear, broken-hearted sister," he pleaded in a sheep-like bleat. "I don't want soothing. I am not broken-hearted, and I am not your sister." Pence sighed. "This is very, very painful." "It is," Bella admitted readily, "to me. Surely you are man enough, Mr. Pence, to take a plain telling if you won't accept a hint. I want you to leave me at once, as I am not disposed to talk." "If I had my way I would never, never leave you again." "Perhaps; but, so far as I am concerned, you will not get your way." "Why do you dislike me, Miss Huxham?" "I neither like nor dislike you," she retorted, suppressing a violent inclination to scream, so annoying was this persecution. "You are nothing to me." "I want to be something. I wish you to be my sealed fountain. Your late lamented father desired you to be my spouse." "I am aware of that, Mr. Pence. But perhaps you will remember that I refused to marry you, the other day." "You broke my heart then." "Go and mend it then," cried Bella, furiously angry, and only too anxious to drive him away by behaving with aggressive rudeness. "You alone can mend it." Pence dropped on his knees. "Oh, I implore you to mend it, my Hephzibah! You are to me a Rose of Sharon, a Lily of the Vale." "Get up, sir, and don't make a fool of yourself." "Oh, angel of my life, listen to me. Lately I was poor in this world's goods, but now I have gold. Marry me, and let us fly to far lands, and----" "I thought you were desperately poor," said Bella, suspiciously; "where did you get the money?"