"No—no," murmured Verty, gazing at Redbud with a melancholy tenderness, and trying to understand whether there could possibly be any foundation for Miss Sallianna's charge, that that young lady was in love with Mr. Ralph Ashley.
"Could it be? Oh, no, no!"
"Could what be?" asked Fanny.
For once Verty was reserved.
"Nothing," he said.
But still he continued to gaze at Redbud with such sad tenderness, that a deep color came into her cheek, and her eyes were cast down.
She turned away; and then Miss Lavinia's advice came to her mind, and with a sorrowful cloud upon her face, she reproached herself for the kindness of her manner to Verty, in their present interview.
"I think I'll go and gather some flowers, yonder," she said, smiling faintly, and with a sad, kind look to Verty, in spite of all. "Fanny and yourself can talk until I return, you know—"
"Let me go with you," said Verty, moving to her side.
Redbud hesitated.