"No?" Anne's eyes were fastened on the girl; Millie's honesty gave
unwilling explanation.
"Never your motives. He said once that Mr Forbes was his friend, and
that the breaking off of your engagement was not his fault. He said
this before--"
"Before?"
"Before he knew you."
Anne meditated. Her eyes softened.
"I suppose it is the everlasting I--I--I, again, which makes me imagine
that people talk when they are not even thinking of me. However, it is
true that he misjudges me, I had it from his own lips, and I am sorry,
foolishly sorry, because he is a man--" She broke off and
laughed--"Somehow my vanity would make me wish to appear at one's best
before him. Does that shock you again?"
"Why should it?"
"I couldn't say why, but I am for ever shocking people unintentionally.
You have not got over my talking of my engagements, yet--_they_ don't
judge me harshly, any one of those men would marry me to-morrow. Yes,
even Mr Wareham's friend, in spite of Mr Wareham!"
Women, however unsophisticated, possess the gift of intuition. Millie
divined that Miss Dalrymple wished her to talk of Wareham, and was ready
to profess a spasmodic anger for the pleasure of hearing him defended.
She was reluctant and ashamed of her reluctance. The shame stung her
into crying--"Why do you talk of Mr Wareham's judging you harshly? You
must know very well that if it ever was so, he has forgiven you."
A smile began to play about Anne's mouth.
"Do you think so?"
Millie flung her a look.
"Well--I hope you are right. He has been so stiff that it would be a
victory to bring him round. We shall see. Meanwhile, here we are at
Odde; and what am I to offer to our boatman?--boat-master too, I
suspect."
"Ask him."
The man smiled, shook his head, wanted nothing. The equivalent of a
sixpence was all he would at last consent to receive.
Millie dragged a heavy heart up-stairs, and Anne went in pursuit of Mrs
Martyn.