"Do you want Georgiana?" she said, bravely, "to—to talk about—furniture?"
He looked at her reproachfully across the gate.
"Dolly," he said, "how can you be so unkind? I've been haunting the place for hours, watching to catch you alone. I've no chance if I go to the house, and—and I can't stand housekeeping and chairs and tables——"
At the emphatic climax they had to laugh. He was struggling mechanically with the string, and Dolly was making believe to help him.
"You used always to jump it," she said. Their hands touched as they fumbled at it, and she felt a new and disturbing thrill. "Hadn't you better do that, if you have not become too grand?"
"Don't," said Freddy. Ah, their fingers had been too near; he caught hers and held them tight. "They are all chaffing me about being a Vicar and having a house and all that. Asking if I've got anybody to put into it. But what's the good if you can't get the girl you want?"
"Oh!" said Dolly, looking startled and shrinking as far as the imprisoned hand would allow. He held it fast.
"Dolly," he said, "we've always been chums, you and I. Let me tell you, and then you must tell me honestly if you think—if I've got any chance——"
He was interrupted.
"Is that you, Freddy? What a blessing! I wanted to tell you what you must do about the study."