Page:Herbert Jenkins - The Rain Girl.djvu/214

 "You haven't yet answered my question about to-morrow," said Beresford.

She did not reply. After fully three minutes' silence he reminded her that he was still waiting.

"I'm so sorry," she said with the air of one collecting her thoughts. "You see" she hesitated.

"Your reputation," he queried.

She nodded.

"But" he began.

"And then it's also the tenth day," she said mischievously.

"Please let me arrange everything," he said with the air of a boy asking to be allowed to handle a gun.

"Very well," she sighed. "My reputation be on your head."

"And I may arrange the time of the train and everything?"

Again she nodded, then a moment after said:

"You have me at a disadvantage. I can't argue on such a night. Now let's wait and watch for the moon." They were sitting on their favourite seat facing the sea. "I don't want to talk. Oh, that was terribly rude," she added; "but you understand, don't you?"

For answer Beresford touched her hand, then withdrew his quickly.

In silence they sat watching a patch on the horizon faintly flushed with yellow. Presently above the cloud of mist there slowly rose a dull globe of