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It had all been done, and the
world expected it. Had he not made his offer, Lily would have been
ill-treated;--though, alas, alas, there was future ill-treatment, so
much heavier, in store for her! But there are other cases in which a
lover cannot make himself known as such without great difficulty,
and when he does do so, cannot hope for an immediate answer in his
favour. It is hard upon old friends that this difficulty should
usually fall the heaviest upon them. Crofts had been so intimate with
the Dale family that very many persons had thought it probable that
he would marry one of the girls. Mrs Dale herself had thought so, and
had almost hoped it. Lily had certainly done both. These thoughts and
hopes had somewhat faded away, but yet their former existence should
have been in the doctor's favour. But now, when he had in some way
spoken out, Bell started back from him and would not believe that he
was in earnest. She probably loved him better than any man in the
world, and yet, when he spoke to her of love, she could not bring
herself to understand him.


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