"Yes I ought, Evelyn," he said, in rather an annoyed voice; "it's all right. But it is really absurd their paying a fellow such a miserable salary. I don't mean to stand it much longer. I shall run away, and try my fortune somewhere else."
"Oh no, Donald dear, you must not run away," said Evelyn, beseechingly; "just think how angry papa would be!"
But just then Sir William came back, and invited Mr. Trafford to walk with him as far as his farm-bailiff's house, and we did not see him again until he came to take leave of us before starting for the railway station. He whispered something to Evelyn as he bent over her to say good-bye, and I distinctly caught the words, "Remember—promise;" and then he hastily shook hands with me and went out of the room.
I never knew Evelyn so difficult to please as she was that evening. Nothing that I did seemed to be right, and she was fretful and tired; and even when her father was in the room, she made no effort to rouse herself or to talk to him.
Sir William looked at her very anxiously from time to time. I could see that he attributed this change in her to her cousin's visit, and I heard him once expressing a hope that that was the very last time that Master Donald would come without an invitation; he did not approve of the free-and-easy manners of the rising generation, and he was glad that he had spoken to him pretty plainly on the subject.
Evelyn went early to bed, and I went to my room, but not to sleep. I felt very unhappy and perplexed. These two words which I had heard, against my will, haunted me: "'Remember—promise.'"
What did he mean by it? What was Evelyn to remember, and what promise had she made which she would not either speak to her father or to me? It was so unlike Evelyn to keep a secret. She generally came out with everything at once, and told me just what she was thinking about. I felt sure that this must be something she did not wish her father to know, and the thought troubled me very much indeed.
As I got up the next morning, I prayed for grace and strength to help me, if possible, to influence Evelyn to do what was right.
I found her in a very different frame of mind from what she had been the night before. She was still silent, and looked unhappy, but she was very loving and affectionate to me.
"May, darling," she said, as she put her arms round my neck, and kissed me, "are you very angry with me?"