'Is that all?' she answered, a trace of humour in her tone. 'I thought
it was bad news.'
I stooped to pick a rose and handed it to her.
'Well,' she remarked soberly, but smiling a little, as she lifted the
rose to her lips, 'is it anyone I know?'
I felt it was going badly with me, but caught a sudden inspiration.
'You have never seen her,' I said.
If she had suspected the truth I had turned the tables on her, and
now she was guessing. A quick change came into her face, and, for
a moment, it gave me confidence.
'Is she pretty?' she asked very seriously as she dropped the flower
and looked down crushing it beneath her foot.
'She is very beautiful - it is you I love, Hope.'
A flood of colour came into her cheeks then, as she stood a
moment looking down at the flower in silence.
'I shall keep your secret,' she said tenderly, and hesitating as she
spoke, 'and when you are through college - and you are older - and
I am older - and you love me as you do now - I hope - I shall love
you, too - as - I do now.
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