"Do you know that my uncle and I will be obliged to leave our newly-found friends here, soon after your father gets home?"
"I know", replied Adèle, with apparent calmness, "that Mr. Somers's health has greatly improved and I supposed you would probably go away soon".
"Pardon me, Miss Adèle", said John, in a voice that betrayed his emotion, "but shall you miss us at all? Shall you regret our absence?"
Again Adèle's heart bounded quickly. She felt irritated and ashamed of its tumult.
By another strong effort, she answered simply, "Certainly, Mr. Lansdowne, we shall all miss you. You have greatly enlivened our narrow family circle. We shall be very sorry to lose you".
How indifferent she is, thought John. She does not dream of my love.
"Miss Adèle", he exclaimed passionately, "it will be the greatest calamity of my life to leave you".
For a moment, the young girl was silent. His voice both thrilled and fascinated her. Partly proud, partly shy, like the bird who shuns the snare set for it, only fluttering its wings over the spot for an instant, and then flying to a greater distance, Adèle bestirred her powers and resolved not to suffer herself to be drawn into the meshes. She felt a new, strange influence creeping over her, to which she was half afraid, half too haughty to yield without a struggle.
"Mr. Lansdowne, I am happy yo learn you place some value on our friendship, as we do on yours. But surely, your own home, such as you have described it to me, must be the most attractive spot on earth to you".
"Is it possible", said Mr. Lansdowne vehemently, taking her hand and holding it fast in his, "that you cannot understand me,—that you do not know that I love you infinitely more than father, or mother, or any human creature?"