Still May kept on her way in silence.
“Can this person be a son of that dreadful man Gaffin?” she thought. “If the stories about the miller are true it is the sort of conduct to be expected from a son of his.”
She felt that her best course was not to speak to the youth whatever he might say.
He continued walking by her side, beating his boot with his riding whip. At length he began to grow impatient at her silence.
“You have got a voice I know, for I heard it sound very sweetly just now. Can’t you use it just to say something? It’s not pleasant when a person speaks to a young lady not to have a word in return.”
Still May was firm in her determination not to speak. The youth, probably unaccustomed to such treatment from the young women he usually associated with, entirely lost patience.
“Come, come, Miss, let’s be friends! Though you do live with the Miss Pembertons, there’s no reason you should look down upon a young man who is in a respectable position, and would make you an independent lady if you would let him.”
As he spoke he tried to seize her hand, and put his other arm round to draw her towards him. She started back to escape his touch, and as she did so, looking over her shoulder, she saw Jacob following in the distance. She turned and flew towards him faster than she had ever run in her life. Jacob hastened to meet her. She took his arm panting and scarcely able to speak as she told him the insult to which she had been subjected.
“I saw some one walking alongside you, and thought it wasn’t by your wish, but couldn’t tell, you see, though I ought to have known better. But the impudent fellow shall rue it, that he shall. I’ll serve him as I would a conger!” exclaimed Jacob. “Let me be after him now—I’ll catch him before he has got far, and I’ll warrant he shall never speak to you again.”
“Oh, no, no! pray do not, Jacob,” said May, leaning on his arm to support herself. She was more agitated than she could have supposed. “Let him alone, whoever he is, though I suspect from what he said that he is a son of Miles Gaffin. It will be only necessary, I hope, to warn him not to behave again as he has done; and as I shall tell Miss Pemberton, she will probably speak to him, and that will be sufficient.”