He sprang from the boat as he spoke. One moment he stood on the bank with a blight on his brave eyes; the next, he raised his hat proudly, turned on his heel and was gone.
No sooner had he disappeared than the young lady produced a little lace handkerchief, and rained her tears upon its wholly inadequate area. She sobbed for nearly five minutes; and, after that, dipped her pink fingers in the water, and made assiduous efforts to expunge the most tell-tale symptoms. Then she took up the magazine and tried to revive her interest in the story she had been reading, but she could remember nothing about it. Finally she was about to quit the boat in despair, when, looking up, whom should she see but Dick Edmonstone towering above her on the bank, hat in hand.
"I want you to forgive me," he said very humbly. She affected not to understand him, and intimated as much by raising her eyebrows.
"For what I said just now" (rapidly)--"for everything I have said since I saw you first, last night. And I want to say--if you will still have it--let us be--friends."
Her face instantly brightened; every trace of affectation vanished; she smiled gratefully upon him.
"But," said Dick, still more earnestly, "there are two questions I do think I may ask, though whether you will answer them--"
"Well, then, the first is, have you taken a dislike to me--a new one? Don't laugh," he said, colouring; "I mean it. It is so possible, you know. I have led a rough life; you might easily be ashamed of the things I had to do, to make my way at first; you might easily think me less polished, less gentlemanly: if it is that, I implore you to say so."
She could scarcely keep grave; even he might have smiled, but for the question he had still to ask.
"No, it is not that; to my mind you are just the same."
"The second question may offend you; if it does--well, it can't be helped. I think my old footing--even though you were a child then--is sufficient excuse for it. It is, then--and, indeed, you must grant me an honest answer--do you love another man?"
"And it is not that," said Alice shortly, nevertheless looking him full in the face.
"Then it is only," he said eagerly--"only that you wish to cancel the past? really only that?"