Harvey stroked her soft hair, and pressed his lips to her cheeks.
“They won't like you, Tess. They'll just love you—and they'll make me jealous.”
Again her happy laugh trilled out. “How lovely!... Harvey dear?”
“Yes, Tess.”
“I want to tell you something—something that only mother knows, something about me—and a man.”
Harvey looked smilingly into her deep, tender eyes, half-suffused with tears.
“Go ahead, dear.”
“Go ahead, indeed! You rough, rude sailor! Any one would think I was a man by the way you speak to me... But, Harvey dear, listen... there was a man who wanted to marry me.”
Harvey was all attention at once. “Sit down here, little woman, and tell me who the———”
“Sh! Don't swear, or I won't tell you anything, not anything at all, about it.... Harvey dear, why do you want to go away fishing? Stay here, and help poor Mr. Atkins.”