all
in love like a boy at his time of life; all he felt was gratitude
and interest--all she felt was amusement in his society. As for the
intimacy--felt rather than expressed--the intimacy that could already
almost enable the one to divine the other's thought, that could shape
her mood to his and his to hers, that could cause the same thing of
beauty to be a common joy, and discover unity of mind in opinions the
most opposite--why, it was only natural between people who had together
passed a peril terrible to think of. So they took the goods the gods
provided, and drifted softly on--whither they did not stop to inquire.

One day, however, a little incident happened that ought to have opened
the eyes of both. They had arranged, or rather there was a tacit
understanding, that they should go out together in the afternoon.
Geoffrey was to take his gun and Beatrice a book, but it chanced that,
just before dinner, as she walked back from the village, where she had
gone to buy some thread to mend Effie's clothes, Beatrice came face to
face with Mr. Davies. It was their first meeting without witnesses since
the Sunday of which the events have been described, and, naturally,
therefore, rather an awkward one. Owen stopped short so that she could
not pass him with a bow, and then turned and walked beside her. After a
remark or two about the weather, the springs of conversation ran dry.

"You remember that you are coming up to the Castle this afternoon?" he
said, at length.

"To the Castle!" she answered. "No, I have heard nothing of it."

"Did not your sister tell you she made an engagement for herself and you
a week or more ago? You are to bring the little girl; she wants to see
the view from the top of the tower."

Then Beatrice remembered. Elizabeth had told her, and she had thought it
best to accept the situation. The whole thing had gone out of her mind.

"Oh, I beg your pardon! I do remember now, but I have made another
plan--how stupid of me!"

"You had forgotten," he said in his heavy voice; "it is easy for you
to forget what I have been looking forward to for a whole week. What is
your plan--to go out walking with Mr. Bingham, I suppose?"

"Yes," answered Beatrice, "to go out with Mr. Bingham."

"Ah! you go out with Mr. Bingham every day now."

"And what if I do?" said Beatrice quickly; "surely, Mr. Davies, I have a
right to go out with whom I like?"

"Yes, of course; but the engagement to come to the Castle w