“Oh, Jack, everything will be undone then!”
“And pray, if you don’t care about him, why does it matter to you so much about him?”
“Indeed—indeed, Jack, I’m not in love with him in the least. I never was with anybody, and I never mean to be,” said Nettie, fixing her great blue eyes full on Jack, and speaking with convincing eagerness.
“And how about him?” said Jack crossly.
“No, it’s nothing to do with it,” said Nettie; but the tone of her voice altered a little, and Jack had a sort of feeling that there was more in the matter than she herself knew, for he never thought of disbelieving her.
“Will you tell, and will you promise?” he said.
“No, I won’t,” said Nettie.
“Then you are a very naughty, disobedient girl, and you shall come home with me this minute.”
“I hate you, Jack. I’ll never forgive you,” said Nettie passionately, as she followed him; and all the way home she sobbed and pouted, with an intolerable sense of shame, while Jack, utterly puzzled, walked by her side, a desire to horsewhip Dick Seyton contending in his mind with a dread of making a row.
They came in by the back-door, and Nettie rushed upstairs at once; while Jack, virtuous and resolute, went into the study.