“No. And I call that downright cruel, when we see so little of each other, and I almost never have you to myself any more.”
“It is your saying such things as that that makes me think I ought to be cruel. There are times when you need cruelty. Nothing milder would do any good.”
“You may as well say the remainder of it,” he prompted.
“I shall. It is really serious. You must come to a better understanding with Miss Wardwell; and you must stop coming so often to Highmount.”
“The first time I went to Highmount you told me that I might come as often as I pleased. You needn’t worry about the school-girls. If you say the word, I’ll never speak to one of them again unless she is duly chaperoned at the moment.”
“We were speaking of Miss Wardwell,” was the rather chilling reminder.
“Well, we will speak of her, then. She isn’t losing any sleep on my account. If you only knew Elizabeth as well as I do—but what’s the use!”
“There appears to be no use at all, and I have already said more than your nearest friend ought to say. Suppose we talk of something else.”
Tregarvon refused flatly to accept the invitation.
“No; I want to know about my welcome at Highmount. I have had Mrs. Caswell’s warrant in the past. I have it yet. You can’t make me stay away.”