"Lord, no!" cried her brother. "I'll see her alone,—some other day."
One morning, Molly received a visit from her bachelor uncle, much to her surprise. What little she knew of her uncle rather attracted her. More than once she had detected signs of thought, even of intellect, in his conversation. Also, she had heard something of his early career and of the articles he had written. She greeted him brightly. He held her hand, and glanced around the depressing drawing-room.
"My dear, this is no place to talk," he said.
"No, not to really talk," she agreed, "but it is not often used for that." Then she looked at him suspiciously. "Are you going to scold me about something, uncle?" she asked.
He laughed, and shook his head.
"Oh, no. I am not as courageous as I look," he replied.
She wondered if this round, trim, elderly gentleman really imagined that he looked so.
"I don't know where else we can go," she said. "Mother is in the morning-room, and the library is being cleaned."
"If you will come for a walk," he said, with a winning hesitancy in his manner.
Molly smiled. "I'll come," she answered, "though I am quite sure you have something very disagreeable to say, otherwise why all this trouble?"