On this assurance they reached the high road, and Grace said gently,
withdrawing her hand: "I can manage now, thank you."
"It _can't_ be long now before something meets us. I don't know what
they can send; but if it's only a farm cart, it will be better than
nothing."
"Luckily I'm a very good walker. I don't think that poor Miss Vivian
could ever have got out to Plessing unless we'd met you with that
motor-bicycle. She dislikes walking, and is not used to it."
"I wouldn't have had this walk with Char," said Trevellyan fervently,
"for any money you could offer me. She's a splendid companion, of
course, on her own ground, but for this sort of thing--it's only two
people in a million, Miss Jones, who could do it without hating one
another for ever afterwards."
"We must be very remarkable, then, for I don't think it's going to have
that effect," said Grace, laughing.
"As far as I'm concerned," said Trevellyan slowly, "it's exactly the
opposite. You won't want me to tell you about it now, but perhaps some
day soon you'll let me--Grace."
Miss Jones walked along the muddy, slushy edge of the road with her mind
in a tumult. She felt quite unable to make any reply. But Captain
Trevellyan, always matter-of-fact, did not appear to expect one. He
presently remarked that it was getting colder again. Was Miss Jones very
wet?
"Rather wet, but the worst half must be over by now. I wonder what news
we shall find when we arrive. Do you know, I can't help being selfishly
thankful to be going there. It's been so hard never hearing anything
about her, and knowing all the time that she was in such anxiety."
"Doesn't Char tell you?"
"No; but I don't think I asked her. She likes us to be official, you
know."
"I never heard such inhuman nonsense in my life!" exclaimed Trevellyan
in tones of most unwonted violence.