The Dugdale Millions — page 280: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

270 THE DUGDALE MILLIONS. Wallis irritably, angry with herself that she was not under better control. : ‘Then let me tell you,’’ said Merrimount, posses- sing himself of her hand again. ‘‘Let me speak for you, as I want youto speak. Let me say that you do, and let me make you Lady Merrimount.’’ Wallis stole a glance at him from under her dark lashes and saw the deep, earnest love shining in his eyes. She knew that he was sincere, and she was touched by his simple and unaffected pleading. She did not take her hand from him, although she sud- denly came into self-possession. ‘This has been so unexpected,’’:she said, ‘‘that I do not know what to reply. Iam so confused by my blunder and by my presumption in lecturing you—and I have been so mistaken and have done you such wrong that I can’t think. You know I never thought of this. I always thought you meant to marry Bessie if she had the money. I do lke you, but I liked you as a friend and I wanted to like you, if you were going to be the husband of my dear friend. But you see I don’t know.”’ She withdrew her hand not unkindly, and walked away astep ortwo. Merrimount followed her. ‘Then I will not press my suit to-night,’’ he said tenderly, “‘but I will not deny myself hope. I will come again and again to you until I get my answer.’’ ‘‘But Iam so poor!’’ cried Wallis. "so am 1,” laughed: Merrimount, “I have only a beggarly thousand. But you know Iam going into trade, so I can make enough.”’ “And © said Ld never mary a poor man, sad Wallis, looking up at him with a laugh. Then she ran away from him and called for Bessie. Her call had interrupted the love-making of the others, and they came to her quite hurriedly—indeed quite shamefacedly—but Merrimount and Wallis were too much interested in their own affairs to notice acutely the manner of the others. } Comicbookk<s (SO)