Then, to the relief of his companions, Acton, whose expression changed suddenly, broke in again. “Well,” he commented, “I’m not quite sure that Miss Hamilton will look at the thing from Nasmyth’s point of view. I guess we’ll leave him to explain it to her and Mrs. Acton.”
Nasmyth fancied that the explanation would not be an easy task. In fact, it was one he shrank from, but it had to be undertaken, and, leaving the others, he went back to the drawing-room. Violet Hamilton was surrounded by several companions, and he did not approach her until she glanced at him as she slipped out into the big cedar hall. She sat down on a lounge near the fire, and he leaned upon the arm of it, looking down on her with grave misgivings. He recognized that it was scarcely reasonable to expect that she would be satisfied with the decision he had made.
“You have seen your uncle and Acton?” she asked.
“Yes,” answered Nasmyth; “I have something to tell you.”
The girl turned towards him quickly. “Ah!” she said, “you are not going to do what they proposed?”
“I’m sorry the thing they suggested was out of the question. You will let me tell you what it was?”
Violet made a sign of assent, and Nasmyth spoke quietly for a minute or two. Then a faint flush crept into the girl’s cheeks and a sparkle into her eyes.
“You said no!” she interrupted.
“I felt I had to. There seemed no other course open to me.”
Violet looked at him in evident bewilderment, and Nasmyth spoke again deprecatingly. “You see,” he 265 explained, “I felt I had to keep faith with those ranchers.”