Ralph treated himself to a luxury of laughter. "She's an extraordinary combination. Did she think I was making love to her?"
"No; I believe even Americans do that. But she apparently thought you mistook the intention of something she had said, and put an unkind construction on it."
"I thought she was proposing marriage to me and I accepted her. Was that unkind?"
Isabel smiled. "It was unkind to me. I don't want you to marry."
"My dear cousin, what's one to do among you all?"Ralph demanded. "Miss Stackpole tells me it's my bounden duty, and that it's hers, in general, to see I do mine!"