"I cannot possibly accept you, my lord--I beseech you to accept this answer as final--I can never be your wife!--but, believe me, I am deeply sensible to the honour you have done me." "What reason can you have for refusing me? Do not be so hasty! You do not perhaps know me well enough. I will wait--I will be patient--if you will only give me one word of hope!" "My lord, I cannot!" "You cannot?--why cannot you?" Emma remained silent, but she was walking onward, the while he kept at her side. "Miss Emma! why do not you speak?" She could find no reply. "I know I am a dull fellow--but I love you so much! There is not anything I would not do for you! Could not you care for me a little?" "No, my lord." "If you were only married to me, you would care for me!--you could not but care for me if we were married--I would love you so much!" Emma wept. "Why do you make my aunt cry? Why do not you go away?" asked little Augusta, looking over at him reproachfully. "It needs a child to point out my obvious duty," he said bitterly; and, turning back, he strode away. Augusta remained silent for several minutes, and then said-- "Is not a lord nicer than a gentleman?" Emma was obliged to smile. "Shall not you marry him after a while?" she continued. "Would _you_ like to marry him, Augusta?" "No," replied the child, after a little hesitation; "it always seems a long time when he is there." On their return home, Jane herself opened the door and, fixing her eyes on Emma, said-- "Has Lord Osborne asked you?" Emma admitted it. "Well, you have accepted him?" "No." "You have _not_ accepted him! Good heavens! Emma!--do you tell me you have _refused_ him?--refused _Lord Osborne_!" "Yes." "Wicked, ungrateful girl! How have you the face to stand there and tell me such a thing? Are you mad, Emma? What bewitched you to refuse him?" Emma remained silent. "Speak, wretched girl! How dared you to refuse him?" Emma looked at her haughtily. "I shall speak to my brother," she replied coldly. "It is your brother who will speak to _you_--Minx! Do not look at me like that! You are insufferable with your airs--and you _just nothing_! Owing every stick on your back to your brother and to me!" Jane had completely lost all self-control; and little Augusta, terrified, clung to Emma, crying bitterly. At this moment, Robert came into the hall. "Here is Emma gone and refused Lord Osborne!" cried his wife. "Do you consider the servants to be stone deaf!" he demanded angrily. "Come with me into my study, Emma. Go with your mother, Augusta." Crossing the hall, he opened the door of his room for Emma to enter, and, following her in, closed and locked it. "What is the meaning of all this?" Emma was too agitated to reply. "Is it true that you have refused Lord Osborne?" "Yes, Robert." "And why have you refused him?" Emma strove to answer, but no words came. "I insist on your answering me. Why have you refused him?--you must have some reason."