It was not that Code had taken for granted that Nellie would marry him. Never in his life had he told her that he loved her. It is not the habit of men who rove the seas to keep those they love constantly supplied with literature or confectionery, or to waste too many words in the language of devotion.
He admitted frankly to himself that he had always hoped to marry her when he had acquired the quarter interest in Bill Boughton’s fishstand that had been promised him, but he had not told her so, nor did he know that she would accept him. The idea had been one to be thought of only at times of quietness and confidence in his future such as come to every man.
But he had not reckoned on Nat Burns. He had not realized quite to what an extent Burns had made progress. He recalled, now that it was brought forcibly home to him, that Nat had been constantly at the Tanners’ for the last four or five months. But Code had thought nothing of this, for Nat had paid similar court at times to others of the girls of Freekirk Head. He was, in fact, considered the village beau.
And Nellie herself had told him nothing. There had been a modest shyness about her in their relations 36 that had kept him at an exasperating and piquant distance.
Well, everything was over now, he told himself. He could take his defeat since Nellie did not care for him.
Then he suddenly recalled Burns’s actions and manner of speaking during the harrowing moments of the fire.
“I wonder if Nat really loves her?” he asked himself. “And if not, why did he become engaged?”