The meeting had
indeed been planned between her and Dolly and the lover, and this
special walk had been taken at the request of the two younger
girls.
Morton stood stock still, as though he expected that Twentyman
would pass by. Larry hurried over the bridge, feeling sure that the
meeting with Morton had been accidental and thinking that he would
pass on towards the house.
Larry was not at all ashamed of his purpose, nor was he inclined to
give way and pass on. He came up boldly to his love, and shook
hands with her with a pleasant smile. "If you are walking back to
Dillsborough," he said, "maybe you'll let me go a little way with
you?"
"I was going round the house with Mr. Morton," she said timidly.
"Perhaps I can join you?" said he, bobbing his head at the other
man.
"If you intended to walk back with Mr. Twentyman--," began Morton.
"But I didn't," said the poor girl, who in truth understood more of
it all than did either of the two men. "I didn't expect him, and I
didn't expect you. It's a pity I can't go both ways, isn't it?" she
added, attempting to appear cheerful.
"Come back, Mary," said Kate; "we've had walking enough, and shall
be awfully tired before we get home."
Mary had thought that she would like extremely to go round the
house with her old friend and have a hundred incidents of her early
life called to her memory.
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