FullReads

But I knew I must not revel in this place too long. I was on the point of rising to leave when I heard approaching footsteps. My breath stopped. Was I at last to be discovered?This was what came of my reckless security. But perhaps the person, some workman most likely, would pass without noticing me. To remain quiet seemed the best course, and I lay motionless.

But the person approaching turned into the little pathway. The footsteps came nearer. I sprang from the hammock. Before me was Miss Vincent!

What was my aspect I know not, but I have no doubt I turned fiery red. She stopped suddenly, but she did not turn red.

“Oh, Mr. Ripley,” she exclaimed, “good morning!You must excuse me. I did not know–“

That she should have had sufficient self-possession to say good morning amazed me. Her whole appearance, in fact, amazed me. There seemed to be something wanting in her manner. I endeavored to get myself into condition.

“You must be surprised,” I said, “to see me here. You supposed I was in Europe, but—”

As I spoke I made a couple of steps toward her, but suddenly stopped. One of my coat buttons had caught in the meshes of the hammock. It was confoundedly awkward. I tried to loosen the button, but it was badly entangled. Then I desperately pulled at it to tear it off.

“Oh, don’t do that,” she said.”Let me unfasten it for you.” And taking the threads of the hammock in one of her little hands and the button in the other, she quickly separated them.”I should think buttons would be very inconvenient things–at least, in hammocks,” she said smiling.”You see, girls don’t have any such trouble.”

I could not understand her manner. She seemed to take my being there as a matter of course.

“I must beg a thousand pardons for this–this trespass,” I said.

“Trespass!” said she, with a smile.”People don’t trespass on their own land–“

“But it is not my land,” said I.”It is your father’s for the time being. I have no right here whatever. I do not know how to explain, but you must think it very strange to find me here when you supposed I had started for Europe.”

“Oh!I knew you had not started for Europe,” said she, “because I have seen you working in the grounds–“

“Seen me!” I interrupted.”Is it possible?”

“Oh, yes,” said she.”I don’t know how long you had been coming when I first saw you, but when I found that fresh bed of pinks all transplanted from somewhere, and just as lovely as they could be, instead of the old ones, I spoke to the man; but he did not know anything about it, and said he had not had time to do anything to the flowers, whereas I had been giving him credit for ever so much weeding and cleaning up. Then I supposed that Mr. Barker, who is just as kind and attentive as he can be, had done it; but I could hardly believe he was the sort of man to come early in the morning and work out of doors,”–(“Oh, how I wish he had come!” I thought.”If I had caught him here working among the flowers!”),–“and when he came that afternoon to play tennis I found that he had been away for two days, and could not have planted the pinks. So I simply got up early one morning and looked out, and there I saw you, with your coat off, working just as hard as ever you could.”

I stepped back, my mind for a moment a perfect blank.

“What could you have thought of me?” I exclaimed presently.