Alice, in an agony of fear lest the true state of affairs should be suspected, was hiding behind a bulwark of pride.
"Now, Billy, please! Say no more.

You're quite wrong, entirely.

You'll never, never hear of my marrying Mr.Arkwright.As I said before, we're friends--the best of friends; that is all.

We couldn't be anything else, possibly!" Billy, plainly discomfited, fell back; but she threw a sharp glance into her friend's flushed countenance.
"You mean--because of--Hugh Calderwell ?" she demanded.

Then, for the second time that afternoon throwing discretion to the winds, she went on plaintively: "You won't listen, of course.