Brandon of the Engineers

"My father tells me you want to go away," she remarked.

"I don't want to, but I must," Dick answered with a candor he had not

meant to show. "You see, things I ought to be looking after will all go

wrong at the dam."

"Isn't that rather egotistical?" Clare asked with a forced smile. "I have

seen Mr. Bethune, who doesn't look overworked and probably doesn't mind

the extra duty. In fact, he said so."

"People sometimes say such things, but when they have to do a good deal

more than usual they mind very much. Anyhow, it isn't fair to ask them,

and that's one reason for my going away."

Clare colored and her eyes began to sparkle. "Do you think we mind?"

"I don't," Dick answered awkwardly, feeling that he was not getting on

very well. "I know how kind you are and that you wouldn't shirk any

trouble. But still----"

"Suppose we don't think it a trouble?"

Dick knitted his brows. It was hard to believe that the girl who sat

watching him with a puzzled look was an adventuress. He had made her

blush, and had come near to making her angry, while an adventuress would

not have shown her feelings so easily. The light that shone through the

window touched her face, and he noted its delicate modeling, the purity

of her skin, and the softness of her eyes. The sparkle had gone, and they

were pitiful. Clare had forgiven his ingratitude because he was ill.

"Well," he said, "what you think doesn't alter the fact that I have given

you trouble and kept you awake looking after me at night. I wasn't always

quite sensible, but I remember how often you sat here and brought me cool

things to drink. Indeed, I expect you helped to save my life." He paused

and resumed in a voice that thrilled with feeling: "This wasn't all you

did. When I was having a very bad time before I left England and

everybody believed the worst, you sent me a letter saying that you knew I

was innocent."

"You told me you tore up the letter," Clare remarked quietly.

Dick's face got red. He had not taken the line he meant to take and was

obviously making a mess of things.

"Are you sure I wasn't delirious?"

"I don't think so. Did you tear up the letter?"

He gave her a steady look, for he saw that he must nerve himself to face

the situation. It was unfortunate that he was too ill to deal with it

properly, but he must do the best he could.

"I'll answer that if you'll tell me how you knew I was innocent."

Clare looked puzzled, as if his manner had jarred; and Dick saw that she

was not acting. Her surprise was real. He could not understand this, but

felt ashamed of himself.