an.

"Why, yes, if I had a guide, Simon," she whispered gleefully.

"You could find the way, Cydaria, and your guide would be most----"

"Most charitably engaged. But then----" She paused, drooping the corners
of her mouth in sudden despondency.

"But what then?"

"Why then, Mistress Barbara would be alone."

I hesitated. I glanced towards the house. I looked at Cydaria.

"She told me that she wished to be alone," said I.

"No? How did she say it?"

"I will tell you all about that as we go along," said I, and Cydaria
laughed again.

CHAPTER II

THE WAY OF YOUTH

The debate is years old; not indeed quite so old as the world, since
Adam and Eve cannot, for want of opportunity, have fallen out over it,
yet descending to us from unknown antiquity. But it has never been set
at rest by general consent: the quarrel over Passive Obedience is
nothing to it. It seems such a small matter though; for the debate I
mean turns on no greater question than this: may a man who owns
allegiance to one lady justify by any train of reasoning his conduct in
snatching a kiss from another, this other being (for it is important to
have the terms right) not (so far as can be judged) unwilling? I
maintained that he might; to be sure, my position admitted of no other
argument, and, for the most part, it is a man's state which determines
his arguments and not his reasons that induce his state. Barbara
declared that he could not; though, to be sure, it was, as she added
most promptly, no concern of hers; for she cared not whether I were in
love or not, nor how deeply, nor with whom, nor, in a word, anything at
all about the matter. It was an abstract opinion she gave, so far as
love, or what men chose to call such, might be involved; as to
seemliness, she must confess that she had her view, with which, may be,
Mr Dale was not in agreement. The girl at the gardener's cottage must,
she did not doubt, agree wholly with Mr Dale; how otherwise would she
have suffered the kiss in an open space in the park, where anybody might
pass--and where, in fact (by the most perverse chance in the world),
pretty Mistress Barbara herself passed at the moment when the thing
occurred? However, if the matter could ever have had the smallest
interest for her--save in so far as it touched the reputation of the
village and might afford an evil example to the village maidens--it
could have none at all now, seeing that she set out the next day to
London