‘Mr Darley! You know I do!’
‘Prove it then, by meeting me to-night.’
‘Meeting you? Are you not coming to the harvest-home?’
‘I may look in, but I shall not remain long; I shall only use it as an excuse to come over to Corston. Mr Murray is suspicious of me—I can see that—and your brothers dislike me. I don’t care to sit at the table of men who are not my friends, Rosa. But if you will take an opportunity to slip out of the barn and join me in the apple copse, I will wait there for you at ten o’clock.’
‘Oh! Frederick—if papa should catch me!’
‘I will take care of that! Only say you’ll come.’
‘I should like to come—it will be so lovely and romantic. Just like a scene in a novel. But I am afraid it is very wrong.’
‘What is there wrong in a moonlight stroll? “The summer nights were made for love,” Rosa, and we shall have a glorious moon by nine o’clock to-night. You won’t disappoint me, will you?’
‘No, indeed I won’t; but if anything should be discovered you will promise me—’
‘What? I will promise you anything in the world.’