“What are your wishes, sir?”
“To serve you and your friend,” was the reply, spoken in a low voice, and with apparent hesitation.
“It must be an important service which could render pardonable the fact, sir, of you having, unannounced, and so rudely, intruded upon our privacy,” said Mrs. Hinton.
“It is an important service. No less than the rescue of——will you be seated?”
The parties seated themselves in silence, when Walker continued:
“You must pardon me if I speak plainly, and directly to the point. It is necessary that I should be brief.”
“Proceed, sir.”
“Miss Hayward,” continued Walker, turning toward the lady, “I must give a few words of explanation to you. I did love—do love you now. You need not shrink from me. You will, upon hearing my words, understand me better. No man loves without hope, until there arises between him and the one beloved some impassable barrier. The barrier which arose to blast my hopes was, your previous love, and the unfortunate circumstance which has made me an unwilling witness against one to whom, as I think, your heart still clings.”
“You will please be brief in comment, and come as quickly as possible to the point in question,” replied Mrs. Hinton, as she observed the agitation of Miss Hayward.
“I come to the point now. I know Miss Hayward is very unhappy, and I would not add to it. I would save her lover.”