She came in and stood demurely before him, holding her broad hat in both hands before her knees, like a school-girl, her face half-hidden in the black curls.

Scoutbush looked up and smiled affectionately, as he caught the light of her eyes and the arch play of her lips.
"Ah! there you are, at a pretty time of night! How beautiful you look, Val! I wish my wife may be half as pretty!" Valencia made him a prim curtsey.
"I am delighted to hear of my lord's good sport.

He will choose to be in a good humour, I suppose." "Good humour?
_ca va sans dire_! Three stone of fish in three hours!" "Then his little sister is going to do a very foolish thing, and wants his leave to do it; which if he will grant, she will let him do as many foolish things as he likes without scolding him, as long as they both shall live." "Do it then, I beg.

What is it?
Do you want to go up Snowdon with Headley to-morrow, to see the sun rise?
You'll kill yourself!" "No," said Valencia very quietly; "I only want to marry him." "Marry him ?" cried Scoutbush, starting up.
"Don't try to look majestic, my dear little brother, for you are really not tall enough; as it is, you have only hooked all your flies into your dressing-gown." Scoutbush dashed himself down into his chair again.
"I'll be shot if you shall!" "You may be shot just as surely, whether I do or not," said she softly; and she knelt down before him, and put her arms round him, and laid her head upon his lap.

"There, you can't run away now; so you must hear me quietly.