They were both dismayed by what had happened. Miss Selby arose hastily.
“Well—good night!” she said, and fled upstairs to her room in a panic.
“Heavens!” she thought. “Did he think I wanted him to come with me tomorrow? Oh, dear! How—how awfully awkward! Oh, I do hope it will rain!”
Mr. Anderson, left by himself, lit his pipe.
“After that,” he mused, “of course I’ll have to ask her to let me go with her tomorrow. That’s only common courtesy.”
Very well, he was willing to make the sacrifice.
II
It did not rain the next day. On the contrary, it was as bright and blithe a day as ever dawned. There was no plausible reason why a person who went into the woods almost every Sunday should not go today.
“It would be too rude, just to walk off, if he thinks I meant him to come along,” thought Miss Selby. “But perhaps he won’t say anything more about it.”
He did not appear in the dining room while she ate her breakfast.