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My lord ignored this remark. A curious smile played about his mouth.
"Egad, Miles, 'tis very entertaining! I, the erstwhile sobermember--what is the matter?--am now the profligate: I dice, I gamble, Irob. Dick the ne'er-do-weel is a saint. He--er--lives a godly andrighteous life, and--er--is robbed by his wife's relations. After all, Ido not think I envy him overmuch."
"At least, you enjoy life more than he does," said O'Hara, grinning."For ye have no conscience to reckon with."
Carstares' face was inscrutable. He touched his lips with his napkin andsmiled.
"As you say, I enjoy life the more--but as to conscience, I do not thinkit is that."
O'Hara glanced at him sitting sideways in his chair, one arm flung overits back.
"Will ye be offended if I ask ye a question?"
"Of course not."
"Then--do ye intend to go back to this highroad robbery?"
"I do not."
"What then will you do?"
The shadows vanished, and my lord laughed.
"To tell you the truth, Miles, I've not yet settled that point. Fatewill decide--not I."
CHAPTER XVI
MR. BETTISON PROPOSES
Mr. Bettison could make nothing of Diana of late. Her demeanour, atfirst so charming and so cheerful, had become listless, and evenchilling. She seemed hardly to listen to some of his best tales, andtwice she actually forgot to laugh at what was surely a most wittypleasantry. It struck him that she regarded him with a resentful eye, asif she objected to his presence at Horton House, and had no desire to becourted. But Mr. Bettison was far too egotistic to believe such a thing,and he brushed the incredible suspicion away, deciding that her coldnesswas due to a very proper shyness. He continued his visits until theybecame so frequent that scarce a day passed without his strutting stepbeing heard approaching the house and his voice inquiring for the MissBeauleighs. Mr. Beauleigh, who secretly hoped for Mr. Bettison as ason-in-law, would not permit the ladies to deny themselves, and hefurther counselled Miss Betty to absent herself after the first fewmoments, leaving the young couple together. Thus it was that it socontinually fell to Diana's lot to receive the Squire and to listen tohis never-ending monologues. She persistently snubbed him, hoping toward off the impending proposal, but either her snubs were not severeenough, or Mr. Bettison's skin was too thick to feel them; for not afortnight after my lord's departure, he begged her hand in marriage. Itwas refused him with great firmness, but, taking the refusal forcoquettishness, he pressed his suit still more amorously, and with sucha self-assured air that Mistress Di became indignant.
"Sir," she cried, "it seems you have indeed misread my attitude towardsyou!"
Mr. Bettison was struck dumb with amazement. It had never entered hisbrain that Diana could seriously refuse him. He could hardly believe hisears at this quite unmistakable tone of voice, and sat gaping.
"I must beg," continued Diana, "I must beg that you will discontinueyour all-too-frequent visits here. Please do not deem me unkind, butyour persecution of me--I can call it nothing else--iswearying--and--you will forgive the word--tiresome. I confess I amsurprised that you had not perceived your attentions to be distastefulto me."
"Distasteful!" cried Mr. Bettison, recovering after two or threeunsuccessful attempts from his speechlessness. "Do you mean what yousay, Miss Diana? That you will not wed me?"
She nodded.
"Yes, Mr. Bettison, I do."
"And that my attentions are displeasing to you! Well, Miss Beauleigh!Well, indeed!"
Diana softened a little.
"I am indeed sorry that you should have misconstrued--"
"No misconstruction, madam!" snapped the Squire, who was fast losingcontrol over his temper. "Do you dare aver that you did not encourage meto visit you?"
"I do, most emphatically!"
"Oh, I see what 'tis! You cannot hoodwink me. 'Twas never thus with youbefore that fellow came!"
"Mr. Bettison, I am entirely at a loss, but I desire you to leave thisroom before you say aught you may afterwards regret."
He disregarded her.
