“I had no intention—” she began, half-proudly, half-embarrassedly.
“Am I right, miss?” he interrupted.
“I presume you are, if you say so.”
“That's all, ma'am. Thank you!”
Before the girl had time to reply, he was gone. When he again returned, it was with her horse, and Mrs. Rightbody and Ryder were awaiting her. But Miss Alice noticed that his own horse was missing.
“Are you not going with us?” she asked.
“No, ma'am.”
“Oh, indeed!”
Miss Alice felt her speech was a feeble conventionalism; but it was all she could say. She, however, DID something. Hitherto it had been her habit to systematically reject his assistance in mounting to her seat. Now she awaited him. As he approached, she smiled, and put out her little foot. He instantly stooped; she placed it in his hand, rose with a spring, and for one supreme moment Stanislaus Joe held her unresistingly in his arms. The next moment she was in the saddle; but in that brief interval of sixty seconds she had uttered a volume in a single sentence,—
“I hope you will forgive me!”