"Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh!" She opened her fingers and looked whimsically at her cousin, who, despising this stage business, said, impatiently: "Well ?" "Do you know what Sholto came for ?" "To propose to you." "Stop, Nelly.

You do not know what horrible things one may say in jest.
He _has_ proposed." "When will the wedding be ?" "Dont joke about it, please.

I scarcely know how I have behaved, or what the meaning of the whole scene is, yet.Listen.Did you ever suspect that he was--what shall I say ?--_courting_ me ?" "I saw that he was trying to be tender in his own conceited way.

I fully expected he would propose some day, if he could once reconcile himself to a wife who was not afraid of him." "And you never told me." "I thought you saw it for yourself; particularly as you encouraged him." "There! The very thing he has been accusing me of! He said I had given him unequivocal tokens--yes, unequivocal tokens--that I was madly in love with him." "What did you say ?--if I may ask." "I tried to explain things to him; but he persisted in asking me would I be his wife; and when I refused he would not listen to anything else, and went off in a rage." "Yes, I can imagine Sholto's feelings on discovering that he had humbled himself in vain.

Why did you refuse him ?" "Why! Fancy being Sholto's wife! I would as soon think of marrying Marmaduke.