FullReads

He turned at her voice, and she knew he looked at her, though she did not meet his eyes. For a moment or two he stood, not speaking, but as though on the verge of speech; and her heart quickened to a nervous throbbing.

Then unexpectedly he turned upon his heel. “Yes. Wait here, won’t you, while I go and fetch the animals?”

He went, and a sharp sense of relief shot through her. She was sure that he had something on his mind; but inexplicably she was thankful that he had not uttered it.

The sun was dropping out of sight behind the opposite hill, and she was conscious of a growing chill in the atmosphere. A cockchafer whirred past her and buried itself in a tuft of grass hard by. In the wood behind her a robin trilled a high sweet song. From the farther side of the valley came a trail of smoke from a cottage bonfire, and the scent of it hung heavy in the evening air.

All these things she knew and loved, and they were to be hers for the rest of her life; yet her heart was heavy within her. She turned and looked after Jeff with a wistful drooping of the lips.

He had passed out of sight behind some trees, but as she turned she heard a footfall in the wood close at hand, and almost simultaneously a man emerged carrying a gun.

He stopped at sight of her, and on the instant Doris made a swift movement of recognition.

“Why Hugh!” she said.

He came straight to her, with hand outstretched. “My dear, dear girl!” he said.

Her hand lay in his, held in a clasp such as Hugh Chesyl had never before given her, and then all in a moment she withdrew it.

“Why, where have you come from?” she said, with a little nervous laugh.

His eyes looked straight down to hers. “I’ve been yachting,” he said, “along Argyll and Skye. I didn’t know till the day before yesterday about the poor old Colonel. I came straight back directly I knew, got here this morning, but heard that you had gone to town. I was going to follow you straightway, but the squire wouldn’t hear of it. You know what he is. So I had to compromise and spend one night with him. By Jove! it’s a bit of luck finding you here. I’m pleased, Doris, jolly pleased. I’ve been worried to death about you–never moved so fast in my life.”

“Haven’t you?” said Doris; she was still smiling a small, tired smile. “But why? I don’t see.”

“Don’t you?” said Hugh. “How shall I explain? You have got such a rooted impression of me as a slacker that I am half afraid of taking your breath away.”

She laughed again, not very steadily. “Oh, are you turning over a new leaf? I am delighted to hear it.”

He smiled also, his eyes upon hers. “Well, I am, in a way. It’s come to me lately that I’ve been an utter ass all this time. I expect you’ve been thinking the same, haven’t you?”

“No, I don’t think so,” said Doris.

“No? That’s nice of you,” said Hugh. “But it’s the truth nevertheless. I haven’t studied the art of expressing myself properly. I can’t do it even yet. But it occurred to me–it just occurred to me–that perhaps I’d never succeeded in making you understand how awfully badly I want to marry you. I think I never told you so. I always somehow took it for granted that you knew. But now–especially now, Doris, when you’re in trouble–I want you more than ever. Even if you can’t love me as I love you–“

He stopped, for she had flung out her hands with an almost agonized gesture, and her eyes implored him though she spoke no word.

“Won’t you listen to me just this once–just this once?” he pleaded. “My dear, I love you so. I love you enough for both if you’ll only marry me, and give me the chance of making you happy.”