“That is true. I never see her without feeling that I have gained something. She is in a real sense influential.”
“It seems odd, or perhaps it is not, but she has the same effect upon me. I hardly fancy that in her class you could find this creature repeated.”
“She has a similar effect on Ellett, and human nature does not repeat itself. I mean that even the type is rare. It is purely natural,—owes little to the education of events.”
“Yes, rare in all classes, I should say. My Aunt Anne is in some ways queerly like Dorothy.”
“As I am like Jack. You may smile,—I am. Yes, and that makes me think of Jack. Poor fellow! he fancies you utterly despise him.”
“No? Does he? I will ask him to go after a bear with me. I was quite too rough with him, but really—-- However, I do not want to talk about that horrid morning. I thought he was splendidly courageous and equally outrageous.”
“Yes, of course. It admits of analysis. I am often a coward myself; I am desperately afraid of some things.”
“I will tell you some day. It is not well to tell a woman everything; one loses interest as one satisfies curiosity.” He was on thin ice now,—but ice it was, as he found out,—what Jack would have called tickly benders.
“I have no curiosity,—none at all. I think I must go,” she said. “I really must go,” and she rose, adding, “There is Dorothy, at last.”
He was as much relieved as she. He had seen but little of this young woman, and his reason told him clearly enough that he had been near the crumbling brink of folly, and that he had better be careful. He also rose, and they went over to the cabin, where Dorothy greeted them. It was not possible for a person as shrewd as Dorothy, knowing what had passed on the beach with the bear, not to have some notion of what it might lead to in the future. She had in her a fine feminine spice of romance. Now she said, in her quiet way, “Good afternoon! Did you happen to meet my Hiram?”
“I brought you a grilse, Mrs. Maybrook. It is in the pool.”
“I am that obliged to you. Guess I’ll smoke it, if it isn’t too big. Come in. I just pulled some roses for Miss Anne. I’ve got them inside. You might take them along. I’ll have to look up Hiram. Come in.” They followed her.