Her earnest face was raised in the moonlight. She had never seen him so solemn as now. He bent his head.
"Will you seal the compact, Georgina?"
Instinct, and the grave tender tone, told her what he meant. Her eyes filled with tears; but she did not draw her face away, and he left a kiss upon her lips.
"Mind, Georgina, that's as binding as an oath," he said, as he walked on. "Take care that you strictly keep your promise. There is urgent necessity why you should do so. Sometime I may tell you why, if you are good. I may be telling you all sorts of things besides."
Her face was bent to conceal its hot blushes. Heaven seemed suddenly to have opened for Georgina Beauclerc.
"Halloa!" cried the dean, as he met them in the hall. "I thought you had gone on with your mamma, Georgina."
"She came back to walk with you, sir," said Mr. St. John, only waiting to speak the words and then hastening away again.
Mr. Pym was standing near the rocks as he got up to him. "Where did you hide yourself?" cried Frederick. "You seemed to vanish into air. I could see you nowhere."
"I slipped behind here," answered the surgeon, indicating the rocks. "Was not one of those ladies Mrs. Carleton?"
"Yes."