that silenced him.

"If I find you so averse to let me see the lady by herself," said I, "I
must suppose you have very good grounds to think me in the right about
her unwillingness."

He gabbled some kind of an excuse.

"But all this is very exhausting to both of our tempers," I added, "and
I think we would do better to preserve a judicious silence."

The which we did until the girl returned, and I must suppose would have
cut a very ridiculous figure had there been any there to view us.

CHAPTER XXVIII

IN WHICH I AM LEFT ALONE

I opened the door to Catriona and stopped her on the threshold.

"Your father wishes us to take our walk," said I.

She looked at James More, who nodded, and at that, like a trained
soldier, she turned to go with me.

We took one of our old ways, where we had gone often together, and been
more happy than I can tell of in the past. I came a half a step behind,
so that I could watch her unobserved. The knocking of her little shoes
upon the way sounded extraordinary pretty and sad; and I thought it a
strange moment that I should be so near both ends of it at once, and
walk in the midst between two destinies, and could not tell whether I
was hearing these steps for the last time, or whether the sound of them
was to go in and out with me till death should part us.

She avoided even to look at me, only walked before her, like one who had
a guess of what was coming. I saw I must speak soon before my courage
was run out, but where to begin I knew not. In this painful situation,
when the girl was as good as forced into my arms, and had already
besought my forbearance, any excess of pressure must have seemed
indecent; yet to avoid it wholly would have a very cold-like appearance.
Between these extremes I stood helpless, and could have bit my fingers;
so that, when at last I managed to speak at all, it may be said I spoke
at random.

"Catriona," said I, "I am in a very painful situation; or rather, so we
are both; and I would be a good deal obliged to you if you would promise
to let me speak through first of all, and not to interrupt till I have
done."

She promised me that simply.

"Well," said I, "this that I have got to say is very difficult, and I
know very well I have no right to be saying it. After what passed
between the two of us last Friday, I have no manner of right. We have
got so ravelled up (and all by my fault) that I know very well the least
I could do is just to h