May was utterly taken by surprise, which indeed, overpowered every other feeling. She had not a word to say. Hugh saw how unprepared she had been for his avowal. Presently she managed to stammer out, "I thought it was--Kate!"
"I _know_ you did, at first," he replied, "but I thought you must have known better, _now_! I haven't acted very much like a jealous lover, have I, since Mr. Winthrop appeared on the scene? And any one could see how that was going to turn out. No, May, I'm sure I've tried to make you understand!"
But May still sat silent, in a sort of dazed bewilderment. At last, the ludicrous aspect of the mistake--all her sincere, misplaced sympathy with Hugh in troubles which were entirely of her own imagining, struck her so vividly that she laughed outright, though her laugh had a rather hysterical note in it, and she felt that it was most inappropriate to so serious a crisis. But the personal aspect of the affair, she could not yet at all take in. Hugh laughed a little, too, reading her thoughts; but presently he said gravely enough: "Well, May, now that the mistake is cleared up, you're not going to say you can't care for me! Why should we not travel down the river of life together? I mean down the river to the sea,"--he added pleadingly.
"Oh, Mr. Macnab," she replied, at last, "it is so strange to me! I don't seem able to realize it. And I have never thought of you in that way."
"Well, dear," he said, gently, "I won't hurry you; but you and I are very good friends, I think, which is an excellent beginning, and I don't see why we couldn't be something _more_. But take plenty of time to find out! I'll promise to be patient meantime. Only, as I am going away to-morrow for a few days, I wanted to try my fate, at least, and make sure that you knew my feelings before I left--for one never knows _what_ may turn up."
May's face changed when he spoke of the approaching parting, which was only, of course, the prelude to one of much longer duration, since she herself must return home as soon as the party reached Toronto, on its homeward journey. And the thought gave her a sharp pang which she could not ignore. Still, she was not sorry to hear the voices of the others not far off, and to know that this rather embarrassing _tête-à-tête_ was nearly over. Hugh detained her a moment, however.