"You said I was to have no dealings with anybody—except Val; and Val doesn't count. But of course Euty doesn't know that, and he thinks I'm a poor little soul, and might be glad to pass the time of day with anybody. Whereas I—I like the dear good man very well in church; but outside it, I don't pine and crave for his society. I can exist without it. You needn't stretch a point to grant it me——"
"Is that child going on forever?" struck in Maud, impatiently. "Why do you let her pour out this flood of nonsense, Sue? She simply wants to hear her own tongue, and give no one else a chance."
Apparently, however, Sue thought otherwise. Disregarding the interruption, she maintained a serious and puzzled air.
"Am I to understand that you suppose yourself an object of interest to Mr. Custance, Leo?"
"If not, why does he hunt me about the roads? Why does he come galloping after me——"
"Leo!"
"He does—he did yesterday. I was on ahead near Betty Farmiloe's cottage, and out he popped and saw me. I walked on as fast as ever I could, but his long legs took him over the ground like a racer, and he would have caught me up as sure as fate——"
"You misinterpret a very ordinary civility,——" but the speaker was not allowed to proceed.
"For goodness sake let her 'misinterpret' then," cried Sybil, diverted by the recital, "go on, Leo. Did he catch you, or did he not?"
"A cow came along, so I pretended it was a bull, and dashed into a field. Luckily there was a gate handy."