LADY KELSEY.
Why won"t you wait till to-morrow?
BOULGER.
I feel that it ought to be settled at once.
[LUCY _appears_.
LUCY.
Did you send for me, my aunt? Mr. Carbery said you wanted to speak to me here.
LADY KELSEY.
Yes, I gave him that message.
BOULGER.
I asked Aunt Alice to beg you to come here. I was afraid you wouldn"t if I asked you.
LUCY.
[_Lightly._] What nonsense! I"m always delighted to see you.
BOULGER.
I wanted to speak to you about something, and I thought Aunt Alice should be present.
LUCY.
Is it so important that it can"t wait till to-morrow?
BOULGER.
I venture to think it"s very important.
LUCY.
[_Smiling._] I"m all attention.
[_He hesitates for a moment, then braces himself to the ordeal._
BOULGER.
I"ve told you often, Lucy, that I"ve been in love with you for as many years as I can remember.
LUCY.
Surely you"ve not s.n.a.t.c.hed me from the unwilling arm of my partner in order to make me a proposal of marriage?
BOULGER.
I"m perfectly serious, Lucy.
LUCY.
[_Smiling._] I a.s.sure you it doesn"t suit you at all.
BOULGER.
The other day I asked you again to marry me, just before Alec Mackenzie came back.
LUCY.
It was very charming of you. You mustn"t think that because I laugh at you a little I"m not grateful for your affection.
BOULGER.
Except for that letter in this morning"s _Times_, I should never have dared to say anything to you again. But that changes everything.
LUCY.
I don"t understand what you mean.
BOULGER.
[_After a little pause._] I ask you again if you"ll be my wife? When Alec Mackenzie came back I understood why you were so indifferent to me, but you can"t marry him now.
LUCY.
You have no right to talk to me like this.
BOULGER.
I"m the only man who"s related to you at all, and I love you with my whole soul.
LADY KELSEY.
I think you should listen to him, Lucy. I"m growing old, and soon you"ll be quite alone in the world.
BOULGER.
I don"t ask you to care for me. I only want to serve you.
LUCY.
I can only repeat that I"m very grateful to you. I can never marry you.