“Leastways,” added the postman, rather darkly, “I didn’t think as I should ever think of another female but ’er again.”
“But there’s never no tellin’ what folks’ll do—man nor woman,” added Frewin wisely.
And then there was a pause, during which she unfixed another white sheet from against the gentle blue of the evening sky.
“You’ll excuse me if I’m too free, miss,” said Frewin presently. “But you see—well, there, it was talk o’ the village, so ye must ’ave ’eard it with the rest! I was fooled once, and that’s the truth, and I don’t mean to be fooled again.”
There was no answer, and Letty’s face was somehow hidden behind the blushing blossom of a low branch of the apple-tree.
“So p’r’aps you’d excuse me,” he repeated, “if I was to ask you, as a plain man, whether you was a-walkin’ with Lambert o’ Bank ’Oliday when I was in town?”
The face emerged from behind its leafy screen, and was no longer tremulous but haughty.
“Well, it _is_ a queer question,” said she, “and no mistake! But,” she added quickly, seeing him turn away,—“well, there, I don’t mind answering: Mr. Lambert asked me, but I didn’t fancy ’im. I sat alone all day.”
And it may have been the shame of such a confession from an acknowledged village belle that called the blush again to her cheek.
“Ye don’t say so, now,” declared the man, pleased. “Ye see, ye took Lambert’s loan as against mine the other day at the station, and, one thing and another—well, there—a man ain’t goin’ to be fooled twice, you bet.”
At the last word she hung her head lower than ever, and there was another pause.
At last he said, sheepishly now: “But I don’t s’pose ye would walk with me next Sunday. Though it seems clearin’ up for a nice day.”
He waited for an answer, but none came. Only after a minute or so a little sound as of stifled sobbing came from behind the white screen.
“Lor, whatever is the matter?” cried Frewin aghast. “Is it me that’s upset ye, my dear? There, ye don’t need to come if ye don’t want to. Any girl can say a feller nay. There’s no ’arm done yet.”
“I’d come right enough,” faltered she at last, between the sobs. “But—but there _is_ ’arm done.”
And then suddenly she dried her eyes, and looked up at him with frank, fearless gaze.