He felt suddenly ashamed, and half afraid of what
he had taken upon himself to do.
"I hope you believe I am actuated by no feeling antagonistic to yourself,
Miss Day?"
"I think I understand that," she said gently.
And he knew that she comprehended, and was grateful to her that she did
not say, "You hate, not me, but the grocer's shop; but the idea of an
alliance with my father's daughter, my brother's sister." "After all the
girl is a lady," he said to himself, and the thought crossed his mind: was
his empty-headed young brother likely to marry a better woman than this?
All the same, his duty in the matter was clear before him.
"And you will do what I ask? You will help me to send the boy away?"
"He won't go for my telling, I fear."
"He won't go unless you tell him;" and he permitted himself to smile
persuasively on her.
"Then I will tell him," she said gravely; and feeling that was all he
wanted with her she got up and turned to the door.
He reached it before her. "Mine has been an ungracious task," he said. "It
has seemed to me that it was demanded of me. I hope you will forgive me."
He said it quite earnestly, quite humbly, all his grand formality of
manner laid aside for the moment.
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