“‘Between Silly an’ what?’ the old man asked, as if in doubt of my meaning.
“We were interrupted by the arrival of the Reverend Robert with Marie and her mother, in his handsome landaulet. Marie asked me to go with her to gather wild flowers in a bit of woodland not far away. I went, and soon saw her purpose. She had had the ‘jolliest, cutest letter from Harry’ that she had ever read, and seemed to be in doubt as to whether she ought to let him write to her.
“‘Has your grandfather forbidden it?’ I asked.
“‘No.’
“‘Then it’s up to you,’ I said.
“‘Do you think he cares for me?’
“‘I should think him a fool if he didn’t,’ I said, looking down into her lovely dark eyes.
“‘But do you really and truly think that he cares for me?’ she insisted.
“‘I suspect that he does.’