He looked round, but the gentleman in question had taken another path and was out of sight. Emma tried to speak, but instead of articulating words, she only burst into tears, and astonished Sam by appearing on the verge of a fit of hysterics.
He had too much sense to press for an explanation, but contented himself with making her sit down, removing her bonnet and gloves, and supporting her till she was calm again.
He then begged for some explanation of her emotion: she said she was foolish: he admitted that was possible, but only if she refused him all reasons for her conduct. She promised to be more explicit some other time if he would only now give her back her bonnet, allow her to make herself tidy, and rejoin the party.
These very reasonable requests could not be refused, and they returned to the boat-house together, just as another division of their party entered it likewise; consequently their appearance without Mr. Morgan created no surprise or remark.
He returned a short time after, quite calm and happy in appearance, and nothing on either side transpired to attract the attention of the company, or give rise to the smallest surmise that anything unusual had occurred. It was some comfort to have to deal with so complete an actor, one who would betray nothing undesirable, by word or deed.
CHAPTER XVIII.
After dinner Sam again drew Emma aside and would not be satisfied till he had, by close questioning, extorted from her everything that had passed. Nothing less than the exact words, so far as she could remember them, would do for him; he supposed things twenty times worse than the truth, unless she could assert, on her honour, the exact state of the facts. She was quite miserable at telling him, because she could not get him to own what he thought, or promise to take no further notice of the circumstance. Instead of giving her the assurance she required, he sometimes laughed and put her off with an evasive answer, sometimes frowned and resolutely closed his lips—sometimes told her to go away for a foolish girl, and not meddle with what did not concern her.
She was certain he meditated more than he would own, and her fears made her apprehend that any demand for explanation or apology from Mr. Morgan, would produce a quarrel which must end in a challenge. With wretched feelings she returned to the party.
Here they found a rather noisy scene. Alfred Freemantle and Mr. Morgan, having both elevated their spirits by the great quantity of bad wine which they had imbibed at dinner, were trying to induce some of the young ladies to accompany them in the boat, which was lying near the shore. The two Miss Halls and Mrs. Robert Watson, were carrying on a half-romping opposition to this plan, but evidently intending to yield their consent after a proper opposition.
Alfred Freemantle accused them of being cowards, which the three ladies of course denied.