"Captain Holiday," I protested, "I never said I saw a coat——"
He interrupted serenely. "Of course I rapped out just any excuse to get you to myself at once. I've things to say to you. But you know that, Joan."
Yes ... Already I guessed (and with what sudden rapture!) what was coming. Not always do misunderstandings "keep up" until the uttermost word is said. For long enough I had misunderstood. But now—— I knew, from the tone in which he wished Muriel joy, that she never could have been "the" girl. That had not been cordiality "put on." He had been as genuinely glad as I was to hear of the girl's engagement!
And I knew what was coming next; with quiet but growing delight I expected it, yet did not wish one word of explanation to be hurried.
He began, in his direct way: "What do you think of this news about my cousin and Captain Markham? Are you surprised?"
"I didn't know whether she meant to accept him. But I knew he was desperate about her! He told me so himself, that Sunday we all went to tea with those people."
Here Dick Holiday gave me a quick, searching glance. We were going through the gate of the harvest-field as he took up "That Sunday! Yes! D'you mind my asking you? Markham was telling you about all that, in the garden?"
"Yes."
Dick Holiday said simply, "I thought he was making love to you."
"Ah!" A light had broken upon me. Just as keenly and as mistakenly as I had been jealous of Muriel, this man at my side had been jealous of Harry. So he had gone away, avoided me these last weeks!