This did not come
from sullenness, nor even from anger, but from a conviction that it
would be well that she should think much before she met him again. Nor
was he anxious to hurry a meeting. His thought--his base thought--was
this; that she would be sure to come up to the Colne after him; but she
did not come, and therefore in the evening he went down to her, and
asked her to walk with him.
They went away by the path that led by Helpholme, and little was said
between them till they had walked some mile together. Patience, as she
went along the path, remembered almost to the letter the sweet words
which had greeted her ears as she came down that way with him on the
night of his arrival; but he remembered nothing of that sweetness then.
Had he not made an ass of himself during these last six months? That was
the thought which very much had possession of his mind.
'Patience,' he said at last, having hitherto spoken only an indifferent
word now and again since they had left the parsonage, 'Patience, I hope
you realize the importance of the step which you and I are about to
take?'
'Of course I do,' she answered: 'what an odd question that is for you to
ask!'
'Because,' said he, 'sometimes I almost doubt it.
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