'Ah, you should see or hear her after she has caught me idling much with a detrimental, or daring to leave my hand in his for a moment.'
'Annot!'
'I fear that I am a natural born flirt, Hester.'
The latter made no reply, as she thought, a little disdainfully, that these would-be artless speeches were merely meant to 'cast dust in her eyes,' and with regard to her own visit to Fifeshire, she was seldom twice in the same mood of mind.
'Invited to Earlshaugh—to meet, see, and associate hourly with him, and with her, too, there!' Hester would think. 'Better feign illness and stay at home—at sequestered Merlwood; but that would only be putting off the evil day. As her kinsman, she must meet him some time and face it boldly—meet him as little more than a friend, after all that had passed between them, and he had left—unsaid!'
'I cannot make you and Roly—I mean Roland—out!' said Annot on one occasion.
'How?' asked Hester. 'I do not understand you.'
'I always thought myself quick in discovering cases of spoon——'
'Don't be slangy, Annot.'
'Slang or not, you know the phrase and all it expresses!'