Large tears swelled in Phœbe’s eyes. The first vision of her youth was melting away, and she detected no relenting in his grave resolute voice.
‘Shall you tell her?’ was all she could say.
‘That is the question. At one time she gave me reason to think that she accepted a claim to be considered in my plans, and understood what I never concealed. Latterly she has appeared to withdraw all encouragement, to reject every advance, and yet— Phœbe, tell me whether she has given you any reason to suppose that she ever was in earnest with me?’
‘I know she respects and likes you better than any one, and speaks of you like no one else,’ said Phœbe; then pausing, and speaking more diffidently, though with a smile, ‘I think she looks up to you so much, that she is afraid to put herself in your power, for fear she should be made to give up her odd ways in spite of herself, and yet that she has no notion of losing you. Did you see her face at the station?’
‘I would not! I could not meet her eyes! I snatched my hand from the little clinging fingers;’ and Robert’s voice almost became a gasp. ‘It was not fit that the spell should be renewed. She would be miserable, I under constant temptation, if I endeavoured to make her share my work! Best as it is! She has so cast me off that my honour is no longer bound to her; but I cannot tell whether it be due to her to let her know how it is with me, or whether it would be mere coxcombry.’
‘The Sunday that she spent here,’ said Phœbe, slowly, ‘she had a talk with me. I wrote it down. Miss Fennimore says it is the safest way—’
‘I kept it in my pocket-book, for fear any one should see it, and it should do harm. Here it is, if it will help you. I am afraid I made things worse, but I did not know what to say.’
It was one of the boldest experiments ever made by a sister; for what man could brook the sight of an unvarnished statement of his proxy’s pleading, or help imputing the failure to the go-between?
‘I would not have had this happen for a thousand pounds!’ was his acknowledgment. ‘Child as you are, Phœbe, had you not sense to know, that no woman could endure to have that said, which should scarcely be implied? I wonder no longer at her studied avoidance.’