"Let me see," Miss Verney went on, "let me try to remember how I felt.
My impression is now that when I was in love I felt much younger than I do at present, but perhaps that is natural, for it is very nearly thirty years ago since William and I parted."
"Is he still alive?"
"Oh yes, he is still alive, but I have never seen him and he must be wonderfully altered. Sometimes I think of all the days that have gone by since we parted. It seems so strange to think of our lives being able to go on, when once it seemed to both of us that life could not go on at all if we were not together. It seems so strange to think of him eating his lunch somewhere at the same time that somewhere else I am eating my lunch. Who knows if he ever thinks of me, who knows indeed?"
"If anything happened to prevent our marriage," began Pauline, thoughtfully, and then was silent.
Miss Verney opened wide her pale-blue eyes.
"And what could happen?" she asked, grandly.
"I"ve no business to imagine such a thing, have I?"
"None whatever," said Miss Verney, decidedly.
But had Miss Verney"s love-affair been complicated by anything more than merely natural difficulties? Guy"s debts and unsuccess were nothing in comparison with other elements of disaccord ... and then Pauline pulled herself up from brooding and resolutely forced her mind to contemplate a happy Summer. Had she not just now been congratulating herself upon the disappearance of all worries in this sea air?
The time at Scarborough drew to a close, and about a week before her birthday came the news of Richard"s arrival from India. She and Miss Verney packed up and were home in Wychford two days before they were expected.
"Richard, how lovely to see you again!" Pauline cried. "And, oh, Richard, I"m sure you"ve grown. Don"t you think he has grown?" she demanded of everybody. "Richard, how clever of you to grow when you"re twenty-seven."
It was really like old times to go babbling on like this, while Richard sat and smiled encouragingly and spoke never a word.
"Coming for a stroll?" he asked.
"Oh, but I ought to see Guy first," she said. "Richard, I hope you like Guy."
He nodded.
"Do you think he looks like a poet?"
"Never saw a poet before," said Richard.
"Oh, but like your idea of a poet?"
"Never thought much about poets," said Richard. "So you aren"t coming for a stroll?"
"I will to-morrow, but I must spend the sunset with Guy."
Guy was waiting for her by the paddock, and they floated down-stream out of reach of people. In their own peninsula they kissed away the absence of twenty-two days.
"You look much better," said Guy, critically.
"I"m perfectly well."
"And happy?"
She answered him with her eyes.
"Why, Pauline, I believe you"re quite shy of me!"
She blushed.
"I really am a little, you know," she whispered. "Did you like Richard?
Oh, Guy, I hope you did."
"Of course I did."
"And, Guy, you don"t mind if I go for a walk with him to-morrow morning?
You see, I know he"s longing to hear about Margaret and himself."
"But you"ll come out with me in the afternoon?"
"Why, of course."
"Then Richard may have the morning," said Guy. "And I hope you"ll arrange everything between him and Margaret so successfully that he won"t steal any more hours from me."
When Pauline had left Guy that evening she thought how strangely it had been like meeting him for the first time all over again. Or rather it was as if they had walked a long way down the wrong road and were now beginning to walk somewhat tentatively along what she hoped was surely the right road at last. Her duty was above all to help Guy with the material burdens; she must never again let him think that his debts or his prospects had any power to worry her. Merely most tactfully must she try to keep him from extravagance, and, oh dear, how she hoped that he had not bought her an expensive birthday present. It was too late to say anything about it now, but if Guy had been wisely economical how happy she would be. How she hoped, too, that Richard had not brought home from India a present that would annoy Margaret. Really, it was a most oppressive business, this week before her coming of age, for between Guy"s extravagance and Richard"s ... well, it was really not so much bad taste as Indian taste. She would love anything he gave her, of course, but perhaps he would consult beforehand with Margaret. Dear Richard, he was so sweet and touching, and if only he had not brought her something _very_ elaborately carved. She met him next morning half-way to Fairfield, and two years were obliterated as she kept pace with his long stride when they turned aside from the highroad and tramped upward over the gra.s.sy wold.
"Richard, isn"t it very hot in India?"
He nodded.
"And didn"t you ever get used to walking a bit more slowly in India?"
He laughed.
"You lazy little thing. I thought you and Aunt Verney had been in training at Scarborough? Come on, let"s sit down then."
They sat down, and Richard drew with his stick in the close turf.
"Is that your bridge?" Pauline asked, with all the interest she could put into her voice.
He laughed for a long time.
"Pauline, you villain, it"s the beginning of Margaret"s face!"
She clapped her hands.
"Oh, Richard, aren"t I a villain? But, you know, it"s not very frightfully like anything, is it?"
"Pauline," he said, suddenly, in that sharp voice in which two years ago he had intrusted his interests to her before he went away--"Pauline, is Margaret going to marry me?"
"Why, of course she is, Richard!"
"Has she spoken to you about me?"
"But you know she never speaks about her own affairs and that she can"t bear anybody else to speak of them to her."