"Don't go. Out for a stroll? So am I," said Jeff, pleasantly, as if
midnight promenades were the accustomed thing at "The Banks." "Won't you
sit down?"

There were seats outside the summer-house as well as within, and he
motioned toward one of them.

"No, thank you. I think I'll go back," said Lucy, and her voice
trembled.

"Why, you've only just come! Why not stay a while and have a visit with
me? You must have been intending to stay."

"Oh, no!" said Lucy, eagerly, and stopped short, listening. What if
George Jarvis should come round the corner at any moment? She must get
Jeff away with her. "Won't you walk along up to the house with me? I
only came down to see if I'd left something in the summer-house."

Jeff had planned what he would say to her, but at this his disgust got
the better of him. "Lucy," said he--and his voice had changed from
lightness to gravity--"don't you mind a bit _saying what isn't true_?"

* * * * *

CHAPTER IX

"What do you mean, Jefferson Birch, by saying such a thing?" Lucy's tone
was one of mingled anger and fright.

"I mean," said Jeff, coolly, "that if coming down here to meet George
Jarvis were what you were proud of doing, you wouldn't try to cover it
up. Do you know, Lu, I'm tremendously sorry you find any fun in a thing
like that."

"Dear me,"--Lucy tried hard to assume her usual self-confident
manner--"Who appointed you guardian of young ladies?"

"The trouble is--well--you're not a young lady yet. You're only a girl.
If you were a real grown-up young lady there'd be nothing I could do
about your stealing out at this late hour to meet a young man except to
laugh and think my own thoughts. But since you're only a girl--"

"You can insult me!" Lucy was very near tears now--angry, mortified
tears.

"I don't mean to insult you, and I think you know that. If anybody has
insulted you it's the boy who asked you to meet him here. He must have
been the one to propose it, of course, and you thought it would be fun.
Lu, when I found this out I should have gone straight to my sister
Charlotte and told her to come and meet you here instead of myself, if I
hadn't known how it would disappoint her. She would have taken it to
heart much more seriously than you can realise. She's entertained you
all winter and spring, and the responsibilities of looking after you and
Ran have been heavy on her shoulders. She's tried hard to give you a
good time