“’Linda!”
She looked round at him quickly. “Yes,” she said.
“I’m so awfully glad that—that you’ve been able to go with us there. I mean that I——”
“Oh, it’s been glorious! I can feel the swing of the carriage now, even while I’m walking. And it’s been such a lovely day! Of course, it would have been better if Mr. Carlaw hadn’t dropped down upon us; but it was very nice as it was.”
“It—it wouldn’t have been half so nice if—if you hadn’t been there,” ventured Comethup, trembling. “I mean that I—oh, I haven’t had a chance of saying how glad I was to find that you—that you remembered me, and—and liked me; you know I had all the messages you sent me while I was at school; I haven’t forgotten one of them; I couldn’t forget them.”
“Oh, yes; the captain always asked me if I had any message for you, and so—and so of course I sent them.”
“But you—you didn’t mind sending them; I mean you liked sending them,” said Comethup, hurriedly.
“Why, of course; we had been such good friends, and I——”
“Yes, that’s it,” said Comethup, eagerly. “We were always good friends, weren’t we?—and although I’ve been away so long, still that doesn’t make any difference, does it? What I wanted to say was that—that I hope you won’t forget me when I’ve gone to London; that I shall be able to see you sometimes. You won’t forget me, will you, ’Linda?”
They had reached the gate leading into her father’s garden, and they passed in together. She looked round at him for a moment and smiled, and held out her hand quite frankly, with much of the girlish bashfulness gone. “No, I sha’n’t forget you, Comethup,” she said. “I sha’n’t forget that you were my first friend. Do you remember the night, long ago, when you found me here in this garden? And then afterward you brought the captain to me. How could I forget?”