"And put me off my watch."
"Your watch against what? Oh, pardon me! and _please_ enlighten
me. I do not mean to be impertinent."
"I mean my watch for orders — my watch against evil."
"Won't you explain?" said Thorold, gently and impatiently at
once. "What sort of evil can _you_ possibly fear, in connection
with such an innocent little recreation? What sort of 'orders'
are you expecting?"
I hesitated. Should I tell him? would he believe? was it best
to unveil the working of my own heart to that degree? And how
could I evade or shirk the question?
"I should not like to tell you," I said at length, "the
thoughts and feelings I found stirring in myself, after the
last time I went to the hop. I dare say they are something
that belongs especially to a woman, and that a man would not
know them."
Thorold turned on me again a wonderfully gentle look, for a
gay fiery young Vermonter, as I knew him to be.
"It wanted only that!" he said. — "And the orders, Miss
Randolph — what 'orders' are you expecting? You said, orders.
Pages:
523
524
525
526
527
528
529
530
531
532
533
534
535
536
537
538
539
540
541
542
543
544
545
546
547