'It was nice of you to come,' she said, as they reached the bench near
the pond. 'I wanted to see you.' 'And I wanted you to see me,' Lushington laughed a little, remembering
how she had seen him the last time, after his fall, in very bad clothes
and much damaged, particularly as to his nose.
'You certainly look more civilised,' Margaret said.
'Did Logotheti tell you anything about what happened after you left
us?' asked Lushington, suddenly.
Margaret's face lost its expression for a moment. It was exactly as if,
while sitting in the full sunshine, a little cloud had blown across the
sun, taking the golden light out of her face.
'I have not seen Monsieur Logotheti since that day,' she said.
It was not necessary to tell Lushington that she had seen the Greek
once again on the same afternoon. Her companion seemed surprised.
'That's strange,' he said. 'I supposed you saw him--no, I beg your
pardon, I've no right to suppose anything about you. Please forgive
me.' 'What did you suppose?' asked Margaret in a rather imperative tone.
'We are likely to meet so seldom that I may as well tell you what
happened,' answered Lushington, with more decision than he had formerly
been wont to show. 'I'd just as soon have you know, if you don't mind.' Margaret leaned back in her seat, and pulled the garden hat over her
eyes. It was warm, and she could see the gnats in the strong light
reflected from the pond.
'He asked me if I wanted to marry you,' Lushington continued. 'I said
that such a thing was impossible. Then he gave me to understand that he
did.' He paused, but as if he had more to say.
'What did you answer?' asked Margaret.
'I said I would keep out of the way, since he was in earnest.' 'Oh!' Margaret uttered the ejaculation in a tone that might have meant
anything, and she watched the gnats darting hither and thither in the
sunshine.
'I did right, didn't I?' asked Lushington after a long pause.
'You meant to,' said Margaret almost roughly. 'I suppose it's the same
thing. You're always so terribly honourable!' Her humour changed suddenly, and there was a shade of contempt in her
voice. She had been very glad to see him a few moments earlier, but now
she wished he would go. She was perhaps just then in the temper to be
won, though she did not know it, and she unconsciously wished that
Lushington would take hold of her and almost hurt her, as Logotheti had
done, instead of being so dreadfully anxious to be told that he had
done right a week ago.