322 THE GARDEN OF A 



knew how, the shadow of self always keeping well 

 between ; but she resented his taking her love for 

 granted, though she had been telling it by eye and 

 accent for many months. She was not yet proud 

 of him, though she meant to marry him, but the 

 shadow lay heavily; for whether she realized it or 

 not, she did not care to leave her pedestal to be- 

 come either the betrothed or the wife of a man as 

 yet unknown. She fenced to gain time, using the 

 well-worn subterfuge, half argument, half coquetry, 

 saying " to bind him before his way was made 

 might retard his progress she was too old for 

 him, he would meet younger, prettier faces, and out- 

 grow her their friendship was intellectual, while a 

 doctor needed heart more than head in a wife." 



Then seeing that he stood white and aghast, suf- 

 fering but making no protest, she grew angry, and 

 told him hotly that in two years' time the space 

 that he asked her to wait for him he would prob- 

 ably thank her for the advice, never dreaming that 

 he would take her seriously. He assented humbly, 

 only asking if he might write to her in the interval. 

 She said, " Yes, if you will never mention love or 

 marriage until two years are over," not even then 

 expecting that she would be taken at her word. 



He went to his new post ; a letter or two came, 



