“And that it would in that case be ‘No,’” he added, completing the sentence. “Oh, Josie, my darling, haven’t you punished me enough for my bad conduct toward you in that old time? I was a young fool, and you a strange country girl; but as soon as you left us, I began to feel your sweetness. And I was seeking for you everywhere I went until I found you that night up there by the lake. Does that seem like slighting you? Why, I hope you don’t deem me capable of being satisfied in this hole Lattimore, under any circumstances, if it hadn’t been for the hope and comfort your being here has given me!”
“I thought we were to say no more about that old time,” said she; “I thought the doings of Johnny Cornish were not to be remembered by or of Bedford.”
“The name I’ve asked you to call me by!” said he passionately. “Does that mean—”
“It means nothing,” said she. “Oh, please, please!—Good-night!”
I retired to the porch, and rapped again. She came to the door blushing redly, and so fluttered by their leave-taking that I thanked God that Jim was not in my place. There would have been division in our ranks at once; for it seemed to me that her conduct to Cornish was too complaisant by far.
“I came over,” said I, “because Alice said you wanted to see me.”
I think there must have been in my tone something of the reproach in my thoughts; for she timidly said she was sorry to have given me so much trouble.
“Oh, don’t, Josie!” said I. “You know I’d not miss the chance of doing you a favor for anything. Tell me what it is, my dear girl, and don’t speak of trouble.”
“If you forbid reference to trouble,” said she, smiling, “it will stop this conference. For my troubles are what I want to talk to you about. May I go on?—You see, our financial condition is awfully queer. Mamma has some money, but not much. And we have this big house. It’s absurd for us to live in it, and I want to ask you first, can you sell it for us?”
It was doubtful, I told her. A year or so ago, I went on, it would have been easy; but somehow the market for fine houses was dull now. We would try, though, and hoped to succeed. We talked at length, and I took copious memoranda for my clerks.