“I’d rather not say anything about it,” she replied, after a pause.

“Then there has been some reason? Dear Miss Mackenzie, I can assure you I do not ask you without a cause.”

“If you please, I will not speak upon that subject. I had much rather not, indeed, Mr Maguire.”

“And shall I not have the pleasure of seeing you there on next Thursday?”

“Certainly not.”

“Then you have quarrelled with her, Miss Mackenzie?”

He said nothing now of the perfections of that excellent woman, of whom not long since he had spoken in terms almost too strong for any simple human virtues.

“I’d rather not speak of it. It can’t do any good. I don’t know why you should ask me whether I intend to go there any more, but as you have, I have answered you.”

Then Mr Maguire got up from his chair, and walked about the room, and Miss Mackenzie, watching him closely, could see that he was much moved. But, nevertheless, I think he had made up his mind to walk about the room beforehand. After a while he paused, and, still standing, spoke to her again across the table.

“May I ask you this question? Has Mrs Stumfold said anything to you about me?”

“I’d rather not talk about Mrs Stumfold.”

“But, surely, I may ask that. I don’t think you are the woman to allow anything said behind a person’s back to be received to his detriment.”

“Whatever one does hear about people one always hears behind their backs.”

“Then she has told you something, and you have believed it?”

She felt herself to be so driven by him that she did not know how to protect herself. It seemed to her that these clerical people of Littlebath had very little regard for the feelings of others in their modes of following their own pursuits.

“She has told you something of me, and you have believed her?” repeated Mr Maguire. “Have I not a right to ask you what she has said?”

“You have no right to ask me anything.”

“Have I not, Miss Mackenzie? Surely that is hard. Is it not hard that I should be stabbed in the dark, and have no means of redressing myself? I did not expect such an answer from you;—indeed I did not.”

“And is not it hard that I should be troubled in this way? You talk of stabbing. Who has stabbed you? Is it not your own particular friend, whom you described to me as the best person in all the world? If you and she fall out why should I be brought into it? Once for all, Mr Maguire, I won’t be brought into it.”

Now he sat down and again paused before he went on with his talk.

“Miss Mackenzie,” he said, when he did speak. “I had not intended to be so abrupt as I fear you will think me in that which I am about to say; but I believe you will like plain measures best.”