He spoke as though he suspected her of begrudging his praise of Sarah, and she made haste to reply:
"Indeed, she is a good sort, dear little Sarah."
"She is very fond of you," Peter said, in a choking voice. It seemed to him, in his infatuation, so touching that Sarah should be fond of any one. "She was dreadfully afraid of hurting your feelings; but yet, as she said, she was bound to be frank with me."
"Oh, Peter, do tell me what you mean. You are keeping me on thorns," said Lady Mary.
She grew red and white by turns. Was John's happiness in sight already, as well as Peter's?
"It's—it's most awfully hard to tell you," said Peter.
He rose, and leant his elbow against the stone mullion nearest her, looking down anxiously upon her as he spoke.
"After all I said to you when we first came home, it's awfully hard.
But if you would only understand, you could make it all easy enough."
"I will—I do understand."
But Peter could not make up his mind even now to be explicit.