He gave an angry exclamation.
"Secret! It was no secret! You exaggerate when you say that."
"Do I? Well, I'm sorry." She turned to move away, but he followed.
"I hope you'll forgive me?" he asked with humility new to him.
Poor little Marie Celeste! The tears swam traitorously into her eyes, and she bit her lip.
"There isn't anything to forgive," she said. "I think, perhaps, we have both rather exaggerated things."
They walked along the sea front together, Chris silent and morose, with a little frown between his eyes.
Only once before had Marie made him feel ashamed, and that was years and years ago when he had pushed her out of the loft, and she had taken the blame and declared that she had fallen through her own carelessness.
Chris hated to feel ashamed, and after a moment he broke out again violently.
"I should have told you myself, only Mrs. Heriot did not wish it. She said that people in the hotel would talk, and that she could not face the scandal. So what could I do?"