He looked down at her, for some few minutes in silence, vanity and generosity doing hard battle together. The sight of her beautiful, tearful face touched, yet angered him, he did not like to see it clouded by sorrow; yet he could not bear to think that he must lose its loveliness, and never call it his own.
"Do you not love me, Hyacinth?" he asked sadly.
"Oh, no--not as I should love you, to be your wife. I thought I did not, but you said I did. I am quite sure of it, Claude; ever since we started I have been thinking so."
"Well, I must bear my disappointment like a man, I suppose," he said; "and since you wish to go back, I suppose you must. But remember all that you are going back to, Cynthy."
"It is better to break one's heart at home than to run away from it," she rejoined.
"I see," he said quietly; "that woman has frightened you. I thought you brave--you are a coward. I thought you capable of great sacrifice for my sake--you are not so. You shall go home in safety and security, Miss Vaughan."
"Heaven bless you, Claude!" she cried. "You are very good to me."
"I do not like it, mind," he said. "I think it is the shabbiest trick that was ever played on any man. Still, your wishes shall be obeyed." Without another word, they went back to the station.
"I will inquire at what time the train leaves here for Oakton," he said. "Stay outside, Hyacinth--it will not do for you to be seen now."
She was very fortunate. A train went back to Oakton at six o'clock--a quick train too--so that she would be there in little more than half an hour.
"Then," she said breathlessly, "I can walk quickly back again. I can get into the grounds--perhaps into the house--unnoticed. I pray Heaven that I may do so! If I may but once get safely freed from this danger, never will I run into any more. How much would I not give to be once more safe at home!"
Claude looked as he felt--exceedingly angry. "I will accompany you," he said, "as far as the Oakton station, and then I must walk back to the park. I can only hope that I have not been missed. I will take care that no woman ever makes such a simpleton of me again."
He went to the booking-office and obtained two tickets. When the train was ready for starting, and not before, he went to summon Hyacinth, and by a little dexterous management, she got into a carriage unseen.