Page:Marsh--The seen and the unseen.djvu/335

Rh "What do you mean ? It's for you; I got it on purpose for you—it's a little present"

"My dear young man—although you are a duke—pray don't be absurd. Do you see that light out at sea? I think it must be a steamer. I've been watching it for some seconds."

"What's the good of humbugging? Damn the steamer! You know very well I'm gone on you—fair gone! You know very well that the more you play off the more you drive me on. But I ain't going to stand it any longer, so I tell you straight."

She was quiet for some seconds. Then she said, very quietly, still looking across the sea—

"What do you mean?"

"You know very well what I mean. You know I love you." "You—love me?" Then she turned to him. A smile played about her lips. "And the Duchess?"

"Oh, the Duchess! what has it to do with her?"

"Your ideas are original. Good-bye."

She turned right round. Passing through the open window, she entered the sitting-room. He followed her.

"Don't put me off like that—don't Upon my word, I don't believe you know who I am—I'm the Duke of Staines."

When he followed her she turned again and smiled.

"It's easy enough for you to laugh, but for all that I don't believe that you know what it means to be the Duke of Staines."

"Although you are, doesn't it strike you that it is just within the range of possibility that you are insulting me?"