At first she treated the thing as a joke, till it grew evident that her admirer was as much in earnest as his nature would permit.

Thereon, foreseeing eventualities, she became alarmed.
Unless some means could be found to stop him it was now clear to Stella that Mr.Layard meant to propose to her, and as she had not the slightest intention of accepting him this was an honour which she did not seek.

But she could find no sufficient means; hints, and even snubs, only seemed to add fuel to the fire, and of a perpetual game of hide and seek she grew weary.
So it came about that at last she shrugged her shoulders and left things to take their chance, finding some consolation for her discomfort in the knowledge that Miss Layard, convinced that the rector's daughter was luring her inexperienced brother into an evil matrimonial net, could in no wise restrain her rage and indignation.

So openly did this lady express her views, indeed, that at length a report of them reached even Morris's inattentive ears, whereon he was at first very angry and then burst out laughing.

That a man like Stephen Layard should hope to marry a woman like Stella Fregelius seemed to him so absurd as to be almost unnatural.