It was not
probable, and Bessie would not have bidden him deny himself; she would
willingly go through the same trouble again for the same treat. Why had
she not taken courage to arrest his progress? How foolish, how heartless
it would appear to-morrow if the chance were not renewed to her to-day!
She would not have done so silly a thing three years ago--her impulse to
follow him, to call out his name, would have been irresistible--but now
she felt shy of him. A plague on her shyness!
Bessie's little temper had the better of her for a minute or two. She
was very angry with herself, would never forgive herself, she said, if
by her own trivial fault she had thrown away this favor of kind Fortune.
What must she do, what could she do, to retrieve her blunder? Where seek
for him? How find him? She quivered, grew hot and cold again with
excitement. Should she go to the Green Square?--he was sure to visit
that quarter. Then she remembered a high window in the canon's house
that commanded the open spaces round the cathedral; she would go and
watch from that high window. It was a long while before she arrived at
this determination; she waited to see if the strangers would return to
the beautiful chapter-house, to admire its fine tesselated floor and
carved stalls, and its chief treasure in the exquisite ivory crucifix of
the unfortunately famous princess De Lamballe; but they did not return,
and then she hastened home, lest she should be too late.
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