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150 Elsie had gone on pretext of finding some still ungathered lady's fingers which had ripened on the stem. Elsie was now daintily peeling one of the bananas, and Trant watched her with fixed eyes. "I don't think it is so foolish, though it may seem so to you now, Miss Valliant, because you don't care for me. Do you suppose that I am not aware of that? If you care for any one in the world it is for Blake"

"Mr. Trant!" Elsie half rose. "You have no right to say such a thing."

He put out his hand to detain her. "No, don't go, don't be indignant. After all, it is only what everybody else is saying, and I know of two chaps who have a bet on as to whether you will marry Blake or Frank Hallett within the year. I'm out of the running altogether, you see, but for all that I'm not afraid to enter the lists, and I think I've as good a chance as either of them; though you won't let me tell you how fond I am of you."

"Oh, please go on, Mr. Trant. It is very interesting. I don't think anybody ever, ever made love to me quite in this way."

"I'm not making love to you just now. That will come later, and when I do make love to you I warn you that I shall be a tornado. I shall sweep you off your feet; you'll have to listen to me. I'm only stating facts now. Of course I know very well that Blake is much more the kind of fellow for a girl to fall in love with than I am. I don't imagine for a moment that you will ever fall in love with me. I shall make my coup in a different way. I shall carry you off."

Elsie laughed outright. "Oh! really, Mr. Trant! Like a Border knight, or Moonlight?"

"Yes," he said, grimly, "like Moonlight."

"And how shall you manage it? Will you appear booted and spurred at one of the Leichardt's Town tennis parties and seize me—gallop off with me in front of you? Or will you waylay our jingle when we are going to the Government House ball? Or will you wait till we are on