It was so unexpected, and so entirely unlike David, that Helena forgot
her own pain in soothing him. And, indeed, when she had said she would
send him some candy--"and a false-face?" David blubbered;--"yes, dear
precious!" she promised;--he quite cheered up, and dragging at her
hand, he went skipping along beside her out to the green gate in the
hedge.
"I'll stop at the Rectory in the morning," she said, when she kissed
him, bravely, in the twilight; "so I'll see you again, dear."
"'By!" said David. And he had gone.
She stood staring after him, fiercely brushing the tears away, because
they dimmed the little joyous figure, trotting into the November dusk.
The morning broke, gray and cloudy. William King had had his early
breakfast; of course he had! Rather than fail in a housekeeper's duty,
Martha would have sat up all night. When the doctor started for that
call out into the country, Helena was just getting into the stage at
the Stuffed Animal House. Once, as the coach went jolting down the
hill, she lowered the misted window and looked back--then sank into
her seat and put her hands over her eyes. Just for a while, there had
been a little happiness in that house.
They were half-way down the hill when Jonas drew in his horses so
sharply that she made a quick effort to control herself; another
passenger, she thought, shrinking into her corner.
"I'll only detain you a minute or two, Jonas." William King said from
the roadside. Jinny was hitched to the fence, and at the doctor's
signalling hand, the stage drew up, with rattling whiffletrees. Then
he opened the door and got in; he sat down on the opposite seat.
"I wanted to say good-by to you," he said; "but, most of all, I wanted
to tell you that I--I have the deepest regard for you. I want you to
know that. I wanted to ask you if you would allow me to call myself
your friend? I have seemed unkind, but--" he took her hand in both of
his, and looked at her; his face twitched. "I implore you to believe
me! I must not ask anything, or say anything, more than that. But I
could not let you go away without asking your forgiveness--"
"My forgiveness!"
"--Without asking you to pardon me, and to believe that I--have
nothing but--esteem; the most--the most--friendly esteem; you will
believe that, won't you?"
"You are very good to me," she said brokenly.