"I certainly shouldn't like it," she said.

"About being in the tree, that does not matter, of course, but I hope you will keep my name out of the affair altogether.

I must ask you to do that for me." Then he rushed on his fate.

Many a time he had pictured how he would wait till they were alone together in the garden on some glorious moonlit night, and he would take her hand, and tell her how much he loved her; and now, seeing the girl standing before him flushed with insulted dignity, he suddenly found himself gasping out, in what seemed somebody's else's voice, "Couldn't we--look here, Miss Grant, won't you be engaged to me?
Then it won't matter what they say." He tried to take her hand, but she drew back, white to the lips.
"No, no; let me go; let me go," she said.

Then the colour came back to her face, and she drew herself up, and spoke slowly and cuttingly: "I thank you very much for what you have just said.