When Beatrix wants to be particularly aggravating she says I have lost the art of blushing . But that is only her way of putting it , you know . Sometimes I blush dreadfully . '' The Young Man dragged his eyes from the face under the black-and-yellow hat , and fastened them on a crooked pine tree that hung out over the bank . `` Well , '' began the Girl , `` the root of the whole trouble is simply this . There is a young man in England . I always think of him as the Creature . He is the son of a man who was Father 's especial crony in boyhood , before Father emigrated to Canada . Worse than that , he comes of a family which has contracted a vile habit of marrying into our family . It has come down through the ages so long that it has become chronic . Father left most of his musty traditions in England , but he brought this pet one with him . He and this friend agreed that the latter 's son should marry one of Father 's daughters . It ought to have been Beatrix -- she is the oldest . But Beatrix had a pug nose . So Father settled on me . From my earliest recollection I have been given to understand that just as soon as I grew up there would be a ready-made husband imported from England for me . I was doomed to it from my cradle . Now , '' said the Girl , with a tragic gesture , `` I ask you , could anything be more hopelessly , appallingly stupid and devoid of romance than that ? '' The Young Man shook his head , but did not look at her . `` It 's pretty bad , '' he admitted .
`` You see , '' said the XXXXX pathetically , `` the shadow of it has been over my whole life .
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