common
kind--let me ride on her side of the carriage. Hal, she
blushed--blushed when she saw me! She was looking stunning--so pale
and cool; she never has much colour in her cheeks, has she? She had on
one of those worked muslin gowns, and a big floppy hat with black
streamers to it, and black velvet round her neck--nothing pink or blue
to take your eyes from her face."

"Yes?" muttered Gerrard, as Charteris paused in blissful contemplation
of the picture he had evoked.

"Yes? oh, that was all. I rode beside her, and looked at her, and her
hand lay on the side of the carriage quite close to me--I wanted to
kiss it, but I didn't dare. And she let me hold it for a moment when I
bade them good-day--at least, perhaps she didn't let me, but I did,
anyhow--and she blushed, blushed divinely."

Gerrard sprang up and paced the verandah hastily. Charteris woke from
his dream of bliss.

"Old boy, I'm sorry--'pon my word I am. But after all, she is free to
choose, ain't she? With any other girl one wouldn't think much of a
blush. But one never sees her change colour, and I came upon her
suddenly, so she couldn't have been thinking of me before. I thought
old Sir Arthur would never have done with congratulating me on my
escape, and that sort of thing--and a man can't be rude to his
prospective papa-in-law, can he? But when I saw the greys coming down
the drive, and the two parasols in the carriage--why, I made myself
scarce in no time, and the old boy positively beamed upon my departure."

"And having made sure of the lady and her parents both, when do you
propose to clinch the matter?" demanded Gerrard savagely.

Charteris looked at him in surprise. "Why, Hal, you don't imagine that
I meant to run away from our compact? We'll draw lots who shall speak
first exactly as we arranged. Unless"--with sudden fierce
suspicion--"you took your opportunity when you thought I was dead?"

"Bob!" cried Gerrard, so reproachfully that his friend could not doubt
him. "I had given up all thoughts of it. I never went near her
without talking of you."

"Oh!" said Charteris rather blankly. "I hope you haven't made her
think I'm like a brute in a poetry-book? Because if so, she'll be
disappointed."

"I can't help what she thinks," growled Gerrard. "I told her nothing
that wasn't true."

"I don't suppose you did. But it's the finishing touches that count in
these things, my boy. And if she chooses to fit me out with a ha