CHAPTER XVI.
While three members of the party had thus been walking and talking, the principal subject of their discussion, Bubbles Dunster, had gone through an exciting and unpleasant experience.
When starting out for a solitary walk to give Span a run, she saw, with annoyance, James Tapster following her, and to her acute discomfiture he managed to stammer out what was tantamount to an offer of marriage.
Though, in a sense, she had certainly tried to attract him, she felt, all at once, miserably ashamed of her success.

So much so, indeed, that she pretended at first not to understand what he meant.

But at last she had to leave such pretence aside, and then it was she who surprised Mr.
Tapster, for, "You must let me have time to think over the great honour you have done me," she said quietly.

"If you want an answer now, it must be _no_." He protested sulkily that of course he would give her as much time as she wanted, and then she observed, slyly, "I am sure that you yourself did not make up your mind to be married all in a minute, Mr.Tapster.
You weighed the pros and cons very carefully, no doubt.

So you must give me time to do so too." Bubbles' measured words, the feeling that she was, so to speak, keeping him at arm's length, took the hapless Tapster aback, and frightened him a little.