"
"You are very much mistaken, sir," said Fanny.
"There it is--you girls always deny it, and always believe it," said
Mr. Ralph, philosophically. "Now, you would die for me."
"Die, indeed!"
"Would'nt you?"
"Fiddlesticks!"
"That's an impressive observation, and there's no doubt about your
meaning, though the original signification, the philological origin of
the phrase, is somewhat cloudy. You won't expire for me, then?"
"No!"
"Then live for me, delight of my existence!" said Mr. Ralph Ashley,
with a languishing glance, and clasping his hands romantically as he
spoke; "live for one, whose heart is wrapped in thee!"
Miss Fanny's sense of the ludicrous was strong, and this pathetic
appeal caused her to burst into laughter.
"More ridiculous than ever, as I live!" she cried, "though I thought
that was impossible."
"Did you?"
"Yes."
Mr. Ashley gently twined a lock around his finger, and assuming a
foppish air, replied:
"I don't know whether you thought it impossible for me to become more
ridiculous; but you can't help confessing, my own Fanny, that you
doubted whether I could grow more fascinating.
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