Page:The principal girl (IA principalgirl00snai).pdf/164

 Philip, that I'm going to marry you, when you know I'm not."

"Well, I do think, Polly, after all that has happened—!"

But somehow Polly didn't quite see it in that way. She couldn't think of such a thing without the consent of Granny. And even if Granny did consent—which, of course, her consent would never be given, his people would never give theirs, would they? so that even that would not make their prospects any rosier.

"But I thought you were goin' to be a pal to me, Polly!"

"So I am, Phil-ipp, but I mustn't marry you, must I, against the wishes of your People."

It was hard for a young man of inexperience to know exactly how much was meant by the Bad Girl of the Family when she was in this kind of humor. But whatever doubts that were in his mind, he suddenly laid hold of her quite firmly and kissed her quite soundly, and, strictly between ourselves, you young bachelors of Cam and Isis, that was just about the best thing he could have done in the circumstances.

Nevertheless the young man was still involved pretty deeply in the crisis of his fate. Bliss unspeakable was so nearly within his grasp, and yet it was so elusive. He was not without the rudiments of determination, and he had fully made up his mind that this was the girl for