"That you are an infidel."
"Who told you that?"
"That is a matter of no consequence since it is common gossip."
For a moment he was silent, and turned his eyes seaward as if to watch the sun go down. "Are you pressed for time?" he asked without turning his eyes.
"No, I am quite free for the next hour," she answered, with a smile, though she wondered what the Tregonys would think if they knew.
"I owe a good deal to you," he began, slowly and thoughtfully.
"No, not to me, surely. I am the debtor," she interrupted.
"Yes, to you," he went on in the same slow, even way. "And if you care to know—that is, if you are interested—why then it will be a pleasure to talk to you—as it always has been——"
Then he paused and again turned his eyes toward the sea. She glanced at him shyly but did not reply.