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Standing now with her hand on her mother's shoulder, she smiled at Bevans as if she thought him very good to look at, which represented her opinion most accurately.

​"Susie," he said, "what are we going to do? I have no money to speak of, and your mother won't hear of our being engaged."

"Oh, Austin," she murmured, as if a little shocked at the last word, "what could we possibly do?"

"We might be engaged, anyhow."

"Secretly?"

"Not so damned secretly—but without your mother's consent." He looked at her, hoping to see some sign of rebellion.

"Oh, I couldn't do that," she said.

"You could if you cared anything about me."

"I shall never forget you," she answered, and indeed as he stood looking at her with his eyes like two blue flames no woman would have been able to forget him.

"I'll never give you the chance," he said, and flung himself out of the room.

When he was gone, her mother looked at her and said, chattily, "My dear, you have no human feelings, have you?"

Susie was naturally startled and annoyed. "Mamma," she said, "I thought I did just what you would think wise."