Here Miss Sally halted and listlessly seated herself, motioning Courtland to do the same.

He obeyed eagerly.

The incident of the wreath had troubled him, albeit with contending sensations.

She had given it to please HIM; why should HE question the manner, or torment himself with any retrospective thought?
He would have given worlds to have been able to accept it lightly or gallantly,--with any other girl he could; but he knew he was trembling on the verge of a passionate declaration; the magnitude of the stake was too great to be imperiled by a levity of which she was more a mistress than himself, and he knew that his sentiment had failed to impress her.

His pride kept him from appealing to her strangely practical nature, although he had recognized and accepted it, and had even begun to believe it an essential part of the strong fascination she had over him.