With the letter in his hand a sudden desire to go with it to Barbara mastered him. He knew that the Seer had planned to go that morning with Abe Lee to Barba and that the young woman was alone.
An hour later he dismounted in front of the Worth home. Barbara herself met him at the door. "The Seer is not at home to-day" she said, as they entered the living room. "I thought you knew."
"I did not come to see the Seer to-day. I came to see you," he answered bluntly.
"To see me?"
"Yes; to ask you how I shall answer this." He handed her the letter.
She read it slowly, gaining time for self-control. "But I do not understand why you should come to me."
He studied her face a moment before he answered. How could he explain to her the impulse that had prompted him, as every man is prompted to take the big things of his life to the one woman who—if she be really the one woman for him—is more than all? "I thought—I hoped that you would be interested," he said.
"And I am!" she cried eagerly, feeling that which he could not put into words. "Of course I'm interested. I was only surprised that you should hesitate a moment to accept. Don't you want to continue your work? Don't you want to stay with us?" She added the last words wistfully and the heart of the man longed to tell her that which she longed to hear.
"Yes," he said slowly, "I want to stay, but I—I am afraid." The words slipped out unbidden.
Barbara interpreted his answer in the light of his conversation with
Greenfield, which she had overheard, and her woman's pride was aroused.
He should be made to understand that he was in no danger from her. Her
next words were a challenge. "Afraid of what?"