He murmured something to the effect that he could quite understand my doing that.
'But of course it will all be very different now,' said Lilian. 'It will be our turn; and we must try what we can do to pay back some of the debt we owe to her.—Now, don't look fierce, Mary; it's not the least use, for petted you will have to be.'
'Then I am afraid fierce I shall remain,' I replied, trying to speak lightly.
'That is more like yourself, dear. You are feeling better now, are you not?' asked Lilian.
'O yes, quite well; only a little tired from walking farther than I need have done,' was my reply.
'To think of my talking "Mary" to you all day without knowing you were more than friends!' said Lilian, looking up smilingly into Philip's face. 'I know now why you bore the waiting so patiently, and why we got on so well together.—I felt at home with Mr Dallas at once, Mary. I think we both felt that we two ought to be friends.—Did we not?'
He bowed assent.
'And you must please try to like me more than an ordinary friend, Mr Dallas, or I shall be jealous. Mary is my sister, you know, or at least you will know by-and-by; and we cannot be separated for very long; so you must be considerate.'
'Philip knows more about you than you do about him, Lilian,' I put in.
'I am glad he knows about me, of course, Mary; but it will take a little time to quite forgive your reticence about him.—Will it not, auntie?'