"Not as a rule," admitted Scott. "But I've been told that there is usually a good deal of that sort of thing done during the honeymoon."
"That's different too," Dinah's voice was slightly dubious notwithstanding. "But we are not on our honeymoon yet. Scott, couldn't you--just for once--help me to--to find an excuse not to go? It would be--so dear of you."
She spoke with earnest entreaty, her eyes frankly raised to his.
Scott looked into them with steady searching before he finally responded. "I will speak to him if you like. I don't know that I shall be successful. But--if you wish it--I will try."
"Oh, thank you," she said. "Thank you." And then quickly, "You're sure you don't mind? Sure you're not afraid?"
Her eyes expressed open admiration. "I can't think how you manage not to be," she said.
He smiled with a touch of sadness. "Perhaps I am not so weak as I look," he said.
"You--weak!" said Dinah. "Why, you are the strongest man I ever met."
Scott smothered a sudden sigh. "Which only proves how very little you know about me," he said.
But Dinah shook her head, wholly unconvinced. Here at least she was absolutely sure of her ground.
"'Mr. Greatheart was a strong man,'" she quoted, "'and he was not afraid of a Lion.'"
"There are sometimes worse things than lions in the path," said Scott gravely.
The return of Sir Eustace, marshalling the Vicar before him, put an end to further confidences.
Dinah rose nervously to receive the new-comer--a tall, thin man, elderly, with a grave, intellectual face and courteous manner, who looked at her with a gleam of surprise as he took her shyly proffered hand.
"It is a great privilege to meet you," he said then, and Dinah perceived at once that he had prepared that remark for someone much more imposing than herself, and had not time to readjust it.
She thanked him, and he sat down at Scott's invitation and fell into a troubled silence.
Sir Eustace was looking decidedly formidable, and it was not difficult to see that he had just given an unqualified refusal to his visitor's earnest request.
It was Scott as usual who came to the rescue, breaking through the Vicar's abstraction to ask for details concerning certain additions that were being made to the Cottage Hospital. He drew Dinah also into the conversation, taking it for granted that she would be interested; and presently Mr. Grey brightened somewhat, launching into what was evidently a favourite topic.