and by this time every trace of wooing had passed from
Adam's face, and all the love so late set flowing from his heart was
choked and forced back on himself. "Try and remember some fellow who
thinks he's got the right to ask how you're getting on among the country
bumpkins, whether you ain't tired of them yet, and when you're coming
back. Perhaps," he added, goaded on by Eve's continued silence, "'twill
help you if I say 'twas the one who came to see you off aboard the Mary
Jane. I suppose you haven't forgot _him_?"

Eve's blood boiled at the sneer conveyed in Adam's tone and look.
Raising her eyes defiantly to his, she said, "Forgotten him? Certainly
not. If you had said anything about the Mary Jane before I should have
known directly who you meant. That person is a very great friend of
mine."

"Friend?" said Adam.

"Yes, friend--the greatest friend I've got."

"Oh, I'm very glad I know that, because I don't approve of friends. The
woman I ask to be my wife must be contented with me, and not want
anything from anybody else."

"A most amiable decision to come to," said Eve. "I hope you may find
somebody content to be so dictated to."

"I thought I had found somebody already," said Adam, letting a softer
inflection come into his voice. "I fancied that at least, Eve, _you_
were made out of different stuff to the women who are always hankering
to catch every man's eye."

"And pray what should make you alter your opinion? Am I to be thought
the worse of because an old friend, who had promised he would be a
brother to me, offers to see me off on my journey, and I let him come?
You must have a very poor opinion of women, Adam, or at least a very
poor opinion of me."

And the air of offended dignity with which she gave this argument forced
Adam to exclaim, "Oh, Eve, forgive me if I have spoken hastily: it is
only because I think so much more of you--place you so much higher than
any other girl I ever saw--that makes me expect so much more of you. Of
course," he continued, finding she remained silent, "you had every right
to allow your friend to go with you, and it was only natural he should
wish to do so; only when I'm so torn by love as I am I feel jealous of
every eye that's turned upon you: each look you give another seems
something robbed from me."

Eve's heart began to soften: her indignation was beginning to melt away.

"And when I heard he was claiming a promise, I--"

"What promise?" said Eve sharply.