‘Then you do forgive me, Wilfrid?’
‘With all my soul. I hardly feel now as if I had anything to forgive.’
I drew her towards me and kissed her on the forehead. She threw her arms round me, and clung to me, sobbing like a child.
‘You will explain it all to Charley—won’t you?’ she said, as soon as she could speak, withdrawing herself from the arm which had involuntarily crept around her, seeking to comfort her.
‘I will,’ I said.
We were startled by a sound in the clump of trees behind us. Then over their tops passed a wailful gust of wind, through which we thought came the fall of receding footsteps.
‘I hope we haven’t been overheard,’ I said. ‘I shall go at once and tell Charley all about it. I will just see you home first.’
‘There’s no occasion for that, Wilfrid; and I’m sure I don’t deserve it.’
‘You deserve a thousand thanks. You have lifted a mountain off me. I see it all now. When your father found it was no use—’
‘Then I saw I had wronged you, and I couldn’t bear myself till I had confessed all.’