Page:Hornung - Irralies Bushranger.djvu/88

 up her mind to say or do a thing, the speech or the action itself was invariably crisp and to the point.

The other halted in his stride.

"Ashamed?" said he. "What in the world about?"

"You know," said Irralie.

"I! Let me think."

"Think back to yesterday."

"Yes?"

"To yesterday afternoon." "Good. What then?"

"Oh, you don't help me a bit!" cried the girl. "I made a fool of myself. I thought all sorts of idiotic things! I hadn't even the decency to conceal my thoughts from you; you saw them—and behaved handsomely! Yes, you did; you might have given me away before them all; but not you! And I am grateful—more grateful and ashamed than I can ever say. I want to thank you and to apologize with the same stone."

"This is very serious," said Fullarton,