"Because child," and he smiled a little at her still slight difficulty
with the dick. "I am wondering how I am ever going to do without you
again. You did threaten to take yourself off once you know."
"Well I can't inflict myself upon you for ever," she answered, with a
laugh. "But I have been very happy at Sipazi--very."
"Happy? I should have thought you'd have been bored out of your
immortal soul, shut up all this time with only another girl and a
sober-sided, boring, old fogey."
"Stop that now, Inqoto," she said quickly, dropping her other hand on to
his, and there was a ring in her voice that his ear might or might not
have caught. The air seemed charged with some sort of unwonted force.
"Well, what I was trying to screw up courage to say was this," he went
on. "If you have been so happy here why not continue to be so on the
same terms, for the rest of our natural lives--that is if you can put up
with the old fogey aforesaid `for better or for worse,' as the rigmarole
has it, probably the latter? What do you say, dear?"
A flush had come over her face, giving way to a momentary paleness, then
it returned. The light in her eyes burned dear and soft. She looked
wonderfully attractive.
"I say--`Yes,'" she answered. "But oh, dearest, are you sure of
yourself. You are weak and ill you know. Had we not better treat this
as though it had not been until you are your own strong self again, and
even then if you wish it?"
"No--we had not. Well? You said yes just now. Say it again."
She did so. And she bent down and kissed him again, this time on the
lips.
"I've never seen anyone like you before," she whispered tenderly.
"Never."
------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Gee-yupp! Strikes me I've looked in at the wrong time."
Evelyn sprang back, flushing crimson. Hyland was standing in the
doorway, with the most mischievously comical expression of countenance.
The coolest of the three was the patient himself.
"No you haven't," said the latter. "Come in Hyland, and shut the door.
Evelyn here has agreed to take me on for better or for worse--probably
worse, I tell her. What d'you think of that?"
"Good old step-ma!" cried Hyland, seizing hold of Evelyn, and bestowing
upon her cheeks a hearty kiss--Hyland was nothing if not boisterous. "I
say dad, though, I've got a bit of news for you--and very much of the
same sort. Edala's gone and got engaged to that fellow Elvesdon. What
d'you think of that?"
"Well, it doesn't come upon me as a wild surprise. When did they put up
that bargain?"
"Now. This afternoon; half an hour ago."
"That's odd, the coincidence I mean. So did we."
Hyland whistled.
"My hat!" he exclaimed, "but it's a rum world."
"--And very much given to match-making," supplied Thornhill
complacently.