“I did not want you to know——”
“Why not?”
“Oh, a sentiment,” he replied. “We are governed a great deal by such things.”
“It touched me so,” said Clytie. “I could not help coming up to thank you, as you are going away early in the morning.”
“Ah! Winifred told you?”
“Yes; she said you had come to bid good-bye.”
Kent felt bound to fall in with Winifred's friendly fable, although his honesty shrank a little from accepting what was not its due.
“There is always something sad in leave-taking,” said Clytie.
The remark was trite and commonplace; but so is a kiss or a grasp of the hand or the words “Good-bye, dear,” themselves. The original generally brings more titillation than comfort.
“This leave-taking is sadder than most—to me,” said Kent.