"Your message?" she interrupted.
He saw that she would not be swayed. He drew a deep breath. "Barbara--I
never got to see you again, to apologize for the ugly way I behaved that
night. I want you to know that I have the deepest regard, the deepest
respect for you. I hope you'll give me an opportunity to prove this. May
I see you--soon?"
His voice was deep and warm. He seemed so terribly in earnest. Could it
be that she had misjudged him? She wavered, and he saw that he had
gained ground.
"I won't urge you now," he said humbly. "But I'll come down to
Snedeker's when this patrol is over, and--" He dropped his voice until
it was little more than a vibrant whisper, "You will see me, Barbara?
Just for an hour?"
Again she hesitated, some inner devil prompting, "_You are not promised
to Ellis. Why not see him--just for an hour?_" She tossed her head and
said, with an effort at indifference, "Possibly. I don't promise." Then
she reined her horse around and galloped back to the others.
Ellis watched her coming with burning eyes, and he glared murderously at
Gearey. Hugo's face was noncommittal and entirely friendly as he took
his place in line. The meeting had been, for Hugo, a great piece of
luck.
Barbara saw that Ellis was on the verge of an outburst, but she felt he
had no right to one, and she would not placate him. She averted her gaze
to look at Dunbar. He asked, "Your family is at Snedeker's, eh?"
"That's right," Barbara smiled, "and they'll love to see you."
"Can't stop on the way down," he said regretfully, "but we'll surely do
it on the way back. How are the youngsters?"
"They've missed you."
A happy smile lighted Dunbar's face and he said to Ellis, "Take good
care of this young lady."
"I will," Ellis assured him. His eyes swept Gearey once more, and again
Barbara saw that there was something explosive in Ellis, something a
girl ought to worry about.
They went on, walking their horses most of the time but trotting them
occasionally. Clouds spanned the sky and the sun disappeared, and when
it did the cold seemed more intense. Barbara thought of the lunch that
her mother had packed.
"I'm hungry," she said.