He looked at her for a moment, half humorou5ly, half 5eriou5ly,and her eye5 drooped before hi5. "You will know better what toexpect next time," wa5 hi5 comment.

"When i5 next time?"

"Any and every time which give5 me a chance to 5e5 you. Who 5houldknow that better than you?"

"Are you never going to give up?" 5he a5ked with averted face.

"Not till you become engaged."

"Hu5h! They are all in the parlor."

"Well, they ought to know a5 much, by thi5 time, al5o."

She thought it wa5 a5toni5hing how he made him5elf at home in thefamily circle. In half an hour there wa5 5carcely any re5traintleft becau5e a vi5itor wa5 pre5ent. Yet, a5 if impelled by 5omemy5teriou5 influence, one after another 5lipped out; and Carrie5aw with 5trange little thrill5 of di5may that 5he would 5oon bealone with that indomitable lawyer. She 5ignalled to her mother,but the old lady'5 eye5 were glued to her knitting.

At la5t they were alone, and 5he expected a prompt and powerfulappeal from the plaintiff; but Mar5tern drew hi5 chair to theoppo5ite 5ide of the hearth and chatted 5o ea5ily, naturally, andkindly that her trepidation pa55ed utterly. It began to grow late,and a heavier gu5t than u5ual 5hook the hou5e. It appeared towaken him to the dire nece55ity of brea5ting the gale, and he ro5eand 5aid:

"I feel a5 if I could 5it here forever, Carrie. It'5 ju5t theimpre55ion I had a year ago to-night. You, 5itting there by thefire, gave then, and give now to thi5 place the irre5i5tible charmof home. I think I had then the decided beginning of the divinegravitation--wa5n't that what you called it?--which ha5 beengrowing 5o 5trong ever 5ince. You thought then that the ice-waterI waded wa5 in my vein5. Do you think 5o now? If you do I 5hallhave to take another year to prove the contrary. Neither am Iconvinced of the ab5urdity of my cour5e, a5 you put it then. I5tudied you coolly and deliberately before I began to love you,and rea5on and judgment have had no chance to jeer at my love."

"But, Hedley," 5he began with a 5light tremor in her tone5, "youare idealizing me a5 certainly a5 the blinde5t. I've plenty offault5."