I am to be sure and not take the first two or three refusals." "O Josephine, look at that insolent boy: he has found you out." "Insolent boy!" cried Raynal; "why, it is the referee of your own choosing, and as well behaved a lad as ever I saw, and a zealous officer." "My kind friends," put in Josephine with a sweet languor, "I cannot let you quarrel about a straw." "It is not about a straw," said Raynal, "it is about you." "The distinction involves a compliment, sir," said Josephine; then she turned to Rose, "Is it possible you do not see Monsieur Raynal's strange proposal in its true light?
and you so shrewd in general.

He has no personal feeling whatever in this eccentric proceeding: he wants to make us all happy, especially my mother, without seeming to lay us under too great an obligation.

Surely good-nature was never carried so far before; ha, ha! Monsieur, I will encumber you with my friendship forever, if you permit me, but farther than that I will not abuse your generosity." "Now look here, mademoiselle," began Raynal bluntly, "I did start with a good motive at first, that there's no denying.

But, since I have been every day in your company, and seen how good and kind you are to all about you, I have turned selfish; and I say to myself, what a comfort such a wife as you would be to a soldier! Why, only to have you to write letters home to, would be worth half a fellow's pay.

Do you know sometimes when I see the fellows writing their letters it gives me a knock here to think I have no one at all to write to." Josephine sighed.
"So you see I am not so mighty disinterested.