Now for the hand.' 'Not so fast--first the confession,' said she, with a faint smile.
'Well, on my honour,' cried he seriously, 'he told me he hoped you might write to him.

I did not clearly understand about what, but it pointed to some matter in which a family interest was mixed up, and that you might like your communication to have the reserve of secrecy.' 'All this is but a modified version of what you were to disavow.' 'Well, I am only repeating it now to show you how far I am going to perjure myself.' 'That is, you see, in fact, that Mr.Walpole could never have presumed to give you such instructions--that gentlemen do not send such messages to young ladies--do not presume to say that they dare do so; and last of all, if they ever should chance upon one whose nice tact and cleverness would have fitted him to be the bearer of such a commission, those same qualities of tact and cleverness would have saved him from undertaking it.

That is what you see, Mr.Atlee, is it not ?' 'You are right.

I see it all.' And now he seized her hand and kissed it as though he had won the right to that rapturous enjoyment.
She drew her hand away, but so slowly and so gently as to convey nothing of rebuke or displeasure.

'And so you are going away ?' said she softly.
'Yes; Walpole has some pressing reason to be at once in Dublin.