"You can return it to its hiding place," she reflected, "but you can't cease wondering. Why didn't Marmaduke Duval get the treasure while the landmarks were there? Why did he leave it for his heirs?"
"Probably on account of old Parmenter's restriction that it be left until the 'extremity of need.'"
"Probably," she said, "the Duvals would regard it as a matter of honor to observe the exact terms of the bequest. Alas! Alas! that they did so!"
"It's only because they did so, that I got a chance to search!" Croyden laughed.
"You mean that, otherwise, there would be no buried treasure!" she exclaimed. "Of course!--how stupid! And with all that money, the Duvals might have gone away from Hampton--might have experienced other conditions. Colonel Duval might never have met your father--you might have never come to Clarendon.--My goodness! Where does it end?"
"In the realm of pure conjecture," he answered. "It is idle to theorize on the might-have-beens, or what might-have-happened if the what-did-happen hadn't happened. Dismiss it, at least, for this evening. You asked what I was doing for three weeks at Annapolis, and I have consumed a great while in answering--let us talk of something else. What have you been doing in those three weeks?"
"Nothing! A little Bridge, a few riding parties, some sails on the Bay, with an occasional homily by Miss Erskine, when she had me cornered, and I couldn't get away. Then is when I learned what a deep impression you had made!" she laughed.
"We both were learning, it seems," he replied.
"You made an impression, also--of course, that's to be expected, but this impression is much more than the ordinary kind!"
"No, it isn't _merci_, it's a fact. And he is a mighty good fellow on whom to make an impression."
"He is absent. It's not susceptible of proof."
"To be accurate, I expect him not later than the day-after-to-morrow."
"I shall believe you, when I see him!" incredulously.
"He is, I think, coming solely on your account."
"But you're not quite sure?--oh! modest man!"
"----but I won't--they might turn your head----"
"----and make you too confident and too cruel. He saw you but twice----"
"Once, on the street; again, when we called in the evening--but he gave you a name, the instant he saw you----"