"
The self-registering thermometer at the top of Mr. Ablewhite's bald
head began to indicate a rise of temper. His face was more amiable than
ever--but THERE was the pink at the top of his face, a shade deeper
already!
"Come, come, my dear!" he said, in his most soothing manner, "now don't
be angry, and don't be hard on poor Godfrey! He has evidently said some
unfortunate thing. He was always clumsy from a child--but he means well,
Rachel, he means well!"
"Mr. Ablewhite, I have either expressed myself very badly, or you are
purposely mistaking me. Once for all, it is a settled thing between your
son and myself that we remain, for the rest of our lives, cousins and
nothing more. Is that plain enough?"
The tone in which she said those words made it impossible, even for
old Mr. Ablewhite, to mistake her any longer. His thermometer went up
another degree, and his voice when he next spoke, ceased to be the voice
which is appropriate to a notoriously good-natured man.
"I am to understand, then," he said, "that your marriage engagement is
broken off?"
"You are to understand that, Mr. Ablewhite, if you please."
"I am also to take it as a matter of fact that the proposal to withdraw
from the engagement came, in the first instance, from YOU?"
"It came, in the first instance, from me.
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