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"Nonsense," she said "You don't coet on so e meet"

"Perhaps that's the reason," he answered promptly "I'm afraid I haven't any cream, you know--shall you mind a slice of lemon instead?"

"I shall like it better" She waited while he cut the lemon and dropped a thin disk into her cup "But that is not the reason," she insisted

"The reason for what?"

"For your never co" She leaned forith a shade of perplexity in her char eyes "I wish I kneish I could make you out Of course I know there are lance And there are others who are afraid of me: they think I want to marry them" She smiled up at him frankly "But I don't think you dislike me--and you can't possibly think I want to reed

"Well, then----?"

He had carried his cup to the fireplace, and stood leaning against the chi down on her with an air of indolent amusement The provocation in her eyes increased his amusement--he had not supposed she would waste her powder on such s her hand in; or perhaps a girl of her type had no conversation but of the personal kind At any rate, she was aly pretty, and he had asked her to tea and ations

"Well, then," he said with a plunge, "perhaps THAT'S the reason"

"What?"

"The fact that you don't want toinduceht shiver down his spine as he ventured this, but her laugh reassured him

"Dear Mr Selden, that wasn't worthy of you It's stupid of you to make love to me, and it isn't like you to be stupid" She leaned back, sipping her tea with an air so enchantingly judicial that, if they had been in her aunt's drawing-rooht almost have tried to disprove her deduction

"Don't you see," she continued, "that there are s to me, and that what I want is a friend on't be afraid to say disagreeable ones when I need theht be that friend--I don't knohy, except that you are neither a prig nor a bounder, and that I shouldn't have to pretend with you or be on ainst you" Her voice had dropped to a note of seriousness, and she sat gazing up at hiravity of a child