"Mustn't it be beautiful to be welcomed home like that, dear? If you could have seen Evangeline's little shiny face! And the way Elly Precious laughed--when I tickled him! And, oh, John--Do you hear me call you John? I thought it would be hard!"
"'And, oh, John--'" he prompted, putting it yet further off by a kiss-length.
"Oh, John, I know about Carruthers. You're going to take him away to cure him."
"To try to cure him," John Bradford said gravely.
"You'll do it, dear--you and the Lord! Evangeline and I are trusting. Hark, she is coming! No one else sounds like that!"
"No one else gallops--canters--breaks speed limits!" he laughed. "Now what? More news?"
The same news over again, but Evangeline saw that which momentarily banished it from her mind. She saw John Bradford standing behind Miss Theodosia's chair; she saw him stoop over it.
"Mercy gracious, he kissed her!" gasped Evangeline. Something told her to turn and gallop back, but she could not stop in time. She was already at the foot of the steps. Awful embarrassment seized her--seized Evangeline! In the faint, reflected lamplight from within the house she could see the two above her looking down. Mercy gracious!
"I'm s-sittin'--I _think_ I'm sittin' down." Up-standings and down-sittings were confused in the general dizziness of things. Perhaps she was standing up.
"You're not sick, are you, Evangeline? You're not saying anything."
"I--I saw him--doin' it, I mean. Mercy gracious, _what'll I do_?" For some inherited delicacy of instinct made of her a dreadful intruder; she saw herself in the shameful act. Instinctively Evangeline knew she was on sacred ground.
"I couldn't stop, I was goin' so fast. It's too late not to see him doin' it; I don't know what to do."
With swift, light steps Miss Theodosia was down beside her. John Bradford with one step was there. Evangeline looked shamefacedly up into their two kind faces.
"I'm sorry," she whispered. For answer, John Bradford took one of Miss Theodosia's hands and laid it on hers. He held out one of his own.
"May I have this lady to be my wedded wife, Evangeline? Will you give her to me?" His big voice was very tender. Evangeline looked into his shining eyes. The mystery of love swept through her small, sweet soul. She shut her eyes as if from some light too bright for them. If she were alone, she would say her prayers. But the tender voice was going on.