She withdrew entirely now, all but her hand, and her eyes sought the ground.
‘I suppose I shall have to—that is, if you think—at least, I suppose you do think—at any rate, you look as if you were thinking—that this has been giving you encouragement.’
‘I do indeed—decisive, undoubted, bare-faced encouragement.’
‘I don’t think I ought to be judged as [p89] if I were in my sober senses,’ she replied. ‘I was frightened within an inch of my life. I told you this morning that I was dreadfully afraid of bulls, especially mad ones, and I told you that my nurse frightened me, when I was a child, with awful stories about them, and that I never outgrew my childish terror. I looked everywhere about. The barn was too far, the fence too high; I saw him coming, and there was nothing but you and the open country. Of course, I took you. It was very natural, I’m sure; any girl would have done it.’
‘To be sure,’ I replied soothingly, ‘any girl would have run after me, as you say.’
‘I didn’t say any girl would have run after you—you needn’t flatter yourself; and besides, I think I was really trying to protect you as well as to gain protection, else why should I have cast myself on you [p90] like a catamount, or a catacomb, or whatever the thing is?’
‘Yes, darling, I thank you for saving my life, and I am willing to devote the remainder of it to your service as a pledge of my gratitude; but if you should take up life-saving as a profession, dear, don’t throw yourself on a fellow with—’
‘Jack! Jack!’ she cried, putting her hand over my lips, and getting it well kissed in consequence. ‘If you will only forget that, and never, never taunt me with it afterwards, I’ll—I’ll—well, I’ll do anything in reason—yes, even marry you!’
* * * * *