How could she possibly marry any one so neutral? And yet in
his amiable, exasperatingly placid fashion he had for some time been
laying siege to her affections. He had shaved off his beard because he
had heard her say that she objected to hairy men, and he seemed to think
that this sacrifice on his part entitled him to a larger share of her
favour than the rest of the world, certainly much more than she was
disposed to bestow.
He had, in fact, assumed almost an air of proprietorship over her of
late--a state of affairs which she strongly resented, but was powerless
to alter. He had a little money, but no prospects to mention, and had
never done anything worth doing in all his five-and-thirty years. And
yet he seemed to think himself an eligible _parti_ for one of the most
popular women in the district. His social position gave him a certain
precedence among her other admirers, but Beryl herself refused to
recognise this. She thought him presumptuous, and snubbed him
accordingly.
But Lord Ronald's courtship seemed to thrive upon snubs. He was never in
the least disconcerted thereby. He hadn't the brains to take offence,
she told herself impatiently, and yet somewhere at the back of her mind
there lurked a vagrant suspicion that he was not always as obtuse as he
seemed.
She had been rude to him on the present occasion and he had retaliated
with his smiling speech regarding her intellect which had made her feel
vaguely uncomfortable.
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