'Eh? what? It's not!' he babbled. 'Then what is it? Command me, whatever
it is.' 'I believe, my lord,' she said, smiling faintly, 'that a woman is always
privileged to change her mind--once.' My lord stared. Then, gathering her meaning as much from her heightened
colour as from her words, 'What!' he screamed. 'Eh? O Lord! Do you mean
that you will have me? Eh? Have you sent for me for that? Do you really
mean that?' And he fumbled for his spy-glass that he might see her face
more clearly.
'I mean,' Julia began; and then, more firmly, 'Yes, I do mean that,' she
said, 'if you are of the same mind, my lord, as you were half an
hour ago.' 'Crikey, but I am!' Lord Almeric cried, fairly skipping in his joy. 'By
jingo! I am! Here's to you, my lady! Here's to you, ducky! Oh, Lord! but
I was fit to kill myself five minutes ago, and those fellows would have
done naught but roast me. And now I am in the seventh heaven. Ho! ho!'
he continued, with a comical pirouette of triumph, 'he laughs best who
laughs last. But there, you are not afraid of me, pretty? You'll let me
buss you?' But Julia, with a face grown suddenly white, shrank back and held out
her hand.
'Sakes! but to seal the bargain, child,' he remonstrated, trying to get
near her.
She forced a faint smile, and, still retreating, gave him her hand to
kiss. 'Seal it on that,' she said graciously. Then, 'Your lordship will
pardon me, I am sure. I am not very well, and--and yesterday has shaken
me. Will you be so good as to leave me now, until to-morrow?' 'To-morrow!' he cried. 'To-morrow! Why, it is an age! An eternity!' But she was determined to have until to-morrow--God knows why. And, with
a little firmness, she persuaded him, and he went.