But she covered what was still visible of her face with her hand. “I’m frightened,” she whispered. “Terribly frightened.”
“I’ve no intention of touching you. I was a fool or worse to come out here with you, but it will stop at that——”
“I’m not afraid of you. You don’t understand, of course.”
“Oh, yes, I do!”
“But you can’t—you mustn’t——Oh! What——” Gita for the first time since she was an angry child burst into strangled weeping. He had been resting on his oars. The boat suddenly shot ahead.
“Cry it out,” he said grimly. But his voice ended on an uncontrollable note of triumph.
“I feel so strange,” sobbed Gita. “I—I—don’t know what to think. I never——”
“No, never! Sap rising.”
“What do you mean by that?” She pushed back her hood and tried to stab him with her eyes. But they were full of glittering tears.
“You know quite as well as I do. And as soon as Eustace is well you’ll put it up to him squarely.”