-sward, which was irresponsibly soft to her fretfulness. She broke from
the inconsequent meaningless mild tone of irony, and said: »Willoughby, women
have their honour to swear by equally with men: - girls have: they have to swear
an oath at the altar: may I to you now? Take it for uttered when I tell you that
nothing would make me happier than your union with Miss Dale. I have spoken as
much as I can. Tell me you release me.«
    With the well-known screw-smile of duty upholding weariness worn to
inanition, he rejoined: »Allow me once more to reiterate, that it is repulsive,
inconceivable, that I should ever, under any mortal conditions, bring myself to
the point of taking Miss Dale for my wife. You reduce me to this perfectly
childish protestation - pitiably childish! But, my love, have I to remind you
that you and I are plighted, and that I am an honourable man?«
    »I know it, I feel it, release me!« cried Clara.
    Sir Willoughby severely reprehended his shortsightedness for seeing but the
one proximate object in the particular attention he had bestowed on Miss Dale.
He could not disavow that they had been marked, and with an object, and he was
distressed by the unwonted want of wisdom through which he had been drawn to
overshoot his object. His design to excite a touch of the insane emotion in
Clara's bosom was too successful, and, »I was not thinking of her,« he said to
himself in his candour, contrite.
    She cried again: »Will you not, Willoughby? - release me?«
    He begged her to take his arm.
    To consent to touch him while petitioning for a detachment, appeared
discordant to Clara, but, if she expected him to accede, it was right that she
should do as much as she could, and she surrendered her hand at arm's length,
disdaining the imprisoned fingers. He pressed them and said: »Dr. Middleton is
in the library. I see Vernon is at work with Crossjay in the West-room - the boy
has had sufficient for the day. Now, is it not like old Vernon to drive his
books at a cracked head before it's half mended?«
    He signalled to young Crossjay, who was up and out through the folding
windows in a twinkling.
    »And you will go in, and talk to Vernon of the lady in question,« Sir
Willoughby whispered to Clara. »Use your best persuasions in our joint names.