“Friends! No. We have got past that. It must be all or nothing between us. You must see that.”
She looked at him with wet, appealing eyes.
“It cannot be all,” said she, speaking low.
John turned and went away without a word.
That was not the very last between them. John came in the morning in time to carry Marjorie to the carriage, and to place her in Allison’s arms. Something was said about letters, and Marjorie exclaimed:
“Oh! Allison, will it not be fine to get letters from Robin and John?”
John looked up to see the tears in Allison’s sad eyes, and his own softened as he looked.
“Good-bye, my friend,” said she. “Good-bye.”
Even if he had wished he could not have refused to take her hand this time, with Marjorie and Robin looking on. But he did not utter a word, and in a moment they were gone.
John stood on the pavement looking after the carriage till it disappeared around a corner of the street, “And now,” said he, “I must to my work again.”