I don't know how it came about; but this is certain, Miss Dunstable; I have never for a moment thought about your fortune; that is, thought about it in the way of coveting it." "You never thought of making me your wife, then ?" "Never," said Frank, looking boldly into her face.
"You never intended really to propose to go with me to the altar, and then make yourself rich by one great perjury ?" "Never for a moment," said he.
"You have never gloated over me as the bird of prey gloats over the poor beast that is soon to become carrion beneath its claws?
You have not counted me out as equal to so much land, and calculated on me as a balance at your banker's?
Ah, Mr Gresham," she continued, seeing that he stared as though struck almost with awe by her strong language; "you little guess what a woman situated as I am has to suffer." "I have behaved badly to you, Miss Dunstable, and I beg your pardon; but I have never thought of your money." "Then we will be friends again, Mr Gresham, won't we?
It is so nice to have a friend like you.

There, I think I understand it now; you need not tell me." "It was half by way of making a fool of my aunt," said Frank, in an apologetic tone.
"There is merit in that, at any rate," said Miss Dunstable.

"I understand it all now; you thought to make a fool of me in real earnest.

Well, I can forgive that; at any rate it is not mean." It may be, that Miss Dunstable did not feel much acute anger at finding that this young man had addressed her with words of love in the course of an ordinary flirtation, although that flirtation had been unmeaning and silly.

This was not the offence against which her heart and breast had found peculiar cause to arm itself; this was not the injury from which she had hitherto experienced suffering.
At any rate, she and Frank again became friends, and, before the evening was over, they perfectly understood each other.