Hehadonlytofinishthesentence，andthethingwasdone。Butthetenderpassionperverselydelightsinraisingobstaclestoitself。AsuddentimidityseizedonArnoldexactlyatthewrongmoment。Hestoppedshort，inthemostawkwardmannerpossible。
　　Blancheheardfromthelawntheblowofthemalletontheball，andthelaughterofthecompanyatsomeblunderofSirPatrick’s。
　　Theprecioussecondswereslippingaway。ShecouldhaveboxedArnoldonbothearsforbeingsounreasonablyafraidofher。
　　“Well，“shesaid，impatiently，“ifIdidlookinyourface，whatshouldIsee？“
　　Arnoldmadeanotherplunge。Heanswered：“YouwouldseethatI
　　wantalittleencouragement。“
　　“From_me？_“
　　“Yes——ifyouplease。“
　　Blanchelookedbackoverhershoulder。Thesummer-housestoodonaneminence，approachedbysteps。Theplayersonthelawnbeneathwereaudible，butnotvisible。Anyoneofthemmightappear，unexpectedly，atamoment’snotice。Blanchelistened。Therewasnosoundofapproachingfootsteps——therewasageneralhush，andthenanotherbangofthemalletontheballandthenaclappingofhands。SirPatrickwasaprivilegedperson。Hehadbeenallowed，inallprobability，totryagain；andhewassucceedingatthesecondeffort。Thisimpliedareprieveofsomeseconds。
　　BlanchelookedbackagainatArnold。
　　“Consideryourselfencouraged，“shewhispered；andinstantlyadded，withtheineradicablefemaleinstinctofself-defense，“withinlimits!“
　　Arnoldmadealastplunge——straighttothebottom，thistime。
　　“Consideryourselfloved，“heburstout，“withoutanylimitsatall。“
　　Itwasallover——thewordswerespoken——hehadgotherbythehand。Againtheperversityofthetenderpassionshoweditselfmorestronglythanever。TheconfessionwhichBlanchehadbeenlongingtohear，hadbarelyescapedherlover’slipsbeforeBlancheprotestedagainstit!Shestruggledtoreleaseherhand。
　　SheformallyappealedtoArnoldtolethergo。
　　Arnoldonlyheldherthetighter。
　　“Dotrytolikemealittle!“hepleaded。“Iamsofondof_you!_“
　　Whowastoresistsuchwooingasthis？——whenyouwereprivatelyfondofhimyourself，remember，andwhenyouwerecertaintobeinterruptedinanothermoment!Blancheleftoffstruggling，andlookedupatheryoungsailorwithasmile。
　　“Didyoulearnthismethodofmakingloveinthemerchant-service？“sheinquired，saucily。
　　Arnoldpersistedincontemplatinghisprospectsfromtheseriouspointofview。
　　“I’llgobacktothemerchant-service，“hesaid，“ifIhavemadeyouangrywithme。“
　　Blancheadministeredanotherdoseofencouragement。
　　“Anger，Mr。Brinkworth，isoneofthebadpassions，“sheanswered，demurely。“Ayoungladywhohasbeenproperlybroughtuphasnobadpassions。“
　　Therewasasuddencryfromtheplayersonthelawn——acryfor“Mr。Brinkworth。“Blanchetriedtopushhimout。Arnoldwasimmovable。
　　“SaysomethingtoencouragemebeforeIgo，“hepleaded。“Onewordwilldo。Say，Yes。“
　　Blancheshookherhead。Nowshehadgothim，thetemptationtoteasehimwasirresistible。
　　“Quiteimpossible!“sherejoined。“Ifyouwantanymoreencouragement，youmustspeaktomyuncle。“
　　“I’llspeaktohim，“returnedArnold，“beforeIleavethehouse。“
　　Therewasanothercryfor“Mr。Brinkworth。“Blanchemadeanotherefforttopushhimout。
　　“Go!“shesaid。“Andmindyougetthroughthehoop!“
　　Shehadbothhandsonhisshoulders——herfacewasclosetohis——shewassimplyirresistible。Arnoldcaughtherroundthewaistandkissedher。Needlesstotellhimtogetthroughthehoop。Hehadsurelygotthroughitalready!Blanchewasspeechless。Arnold’slasteffortintheartofcourtshiphadtakenawayherbreath。Beforeshecouldrecoverherselfasoundofapproachingfootstepsbecameplainlyaudible。Arnoldgaveheralastsqueeze，andranout。
　　Shesankonthenearestchair，andclosedhereyesinaflutterofdeliciousconfusion。
　　Thefootstepsascendingtothesummer-housecamenearer。Blancheopenedhereyes，andsawAnneSilvester，standingalone，lookingather。Shesprangtoherfeet，andthrewherarmsimpulsivelyroundAnne’sneck。
　　“Youdon’tknowwhathashappened，“shewhispered。“Wishmejoy，darling。Hehassaidthewords。Heismineforlife!“
　　Allthesisterlyloveandsisterlyconfidenceofmanyyearswasexpressedinthatembrace，andinthetoneinwhichthewordswerespoken。Theheartsofthemothers，inthepasttime，couldhardlyhavebeenclosertoeachother——asitseemed——thantheheartsofthedaughterswerenow。Andyet，ifBlanchehadlookedupinAnne’sfaceatthatmoment，shemusthaveseenthatAnne’smindwasfarawayfromherlittlelove-story。
　　“Youknowwhoitis？“shewenton，afterwaitingforareply。
　　“Mr。Brinkworth？“
　　“Ofcourse!Whoelseshoulditbe？“
　　“Andyouarereallyhappy，mylove？“
　　“Happy？“repeatedBlanche“Mind!thisisstrictlybetweenourselves。Iamreadytojumpoutofmyskinforjoy。Ilovehim!
　　Ilovehim!Ilovehim!“shecried，withachildishpleasureinrepeatingthewords。Theywereechoedbyaheavysigh。BlancheinstantlylookedupintoAnne’sface。“What’sthematter？“sheasked，withasuddenchangeofvoiceandmanner。
　　“Nothing。“
　　Blanche’sobservationsawtooplainlytobeblindedinthatway。
　　“There_is_somethingthematter，“shesaid。“Isitmoney？“sheadded，afteramoment’sconsideration。“Billstopay？Ihavegotplentyofmoney，Anne。I’lllendyouwhatyoulike。“
　　“No，no，mydear!“
　　Blanchedrewback，alittlehurt。AnnewaskeepingheratadistanceforthefirsttimeinBlanche’sexperienceofher。
　　“Itellyouallmysecrets，“shesaid。“Whyare_you_keepingasecretfrom_me？_Doyouknowthatyouhavebeenlookinganxiousandoutofspiritsforsometimepast？Perhapsyoudon’tlikeMr。
　　Brinkworth？No？you_do_likehim？Isitmymarrying，then？I
　　believeitis!Youfancyweshallbeparted，yougoose？AsifI
　　coulddowithoutyou!Ofcourse，whenIammarriedtoArnold，youwillcomeandlivewithus。That’squiteunderstoodbetweenus——isn’tit？“
　　Annedrewherselfsuddenly，almostroughly，awayfromBlanche，andpointedouttothesteps。
　　“Thereissomebodycoming，“shesaid。“Look!“
　　ThepersoncomingwasArnold。ItwasBlanche’sturntoplay，andhehadvolunteeredtofetchher。
　　Blanche’sattention——easilyenoughdistractedonotheroccasions——remainedsteadilyfixedonAnne。
　　“Youarenotyourself，“shesaid，“andImustknowthereasonofit。Iwillwaittillto-night；andthenyouwilltellme，whenyoucomeintomyroom。Don’tlooklikethat!You_shall_tellme。
　　Andthere’sakissforyouinthemeantime!“
　　ShejoinedArnold，andrecoveredhergayetythemomentshelookedathim。
　　“Well？Haveyougotthroughthehoops？“
　　“Nevermindthehoops。IhavebrokentheicewithSirPatrick。“
　　“What!beforeallthecompany!“
　　“Ofcoursenot!Ihavemadeanappointmenttospeaktohimhere。“
　　Theywentlaughingdownthesteps，andjoinedthegame。
　　Leftalone，AnneSilvesterwalkedslowlytotheinneranddarkerpartofthesummer-house。Aglass，inacarvedwoodenframe，wasfixedagainstoneofthesidewalls。Shestoppedandlookedintoit——looked，shuddering，atthereflectionofherself。
　　“Isthetimecoming，“shesaid，“whenevenBlanchewillseewhatIaminmyface？“
　　Sheturnedasidefromtheglass。Withasuddencryofdespairsheflungupherarmsandlaidthemheavilyagainstthewall，andrestedherheadonthemwithherbacktothelight。Atthesamemomentaman’sfigureappeared——standingdarkinthefloodofsunshineattheentrancetothesummer-house。ThemanwasGeoffreyDelamayn。