“Yes; if you can.”
“I don’t know how to reply,” she answered, her embarrassment proving her truth. “Will you promise to leave me quite free as to seeing you or not seeing you?”
“Certainly. Have I given any ground for you to doubt my first promise in that respect?”
She was obliged to admit that he had not.
“Then I think that you might get your heart out of that grave,” said he, with playful sadness. “It has been there a long time.”
She faintly shook her head, but said, “I’ll try to think of you more—if I can.”
With this Fitzpiers was compelled to be satisfied, and he asked her when she would meet him again.
“As we arranged—in a fortnight.”
“If it must be a fortnight it must!”
“This time at least. I’ll consider by the day I see you again if I can shorten the interval.”