said--

"Please, forgive me; I was stupid, and am so sorry."

Forgive her? I looked up for an instant and now her lids drooped in
their turn. There was a silence between us for a moment or two,
broken only by the blackbird, by this time entangled in a maze of
difficult variations. Presently she glanced up again, and the grey
eyes were now chastely merry.

"But it was odd to swim when your boat was close at hand, was it
not?"

I looked, faltered, met her honest glance, and we both broke out into
shy laughter. A mad desire to seize the little hand that for a
moment had rested on my arm caught hold of me.

"Yes, it was odd," I answered slowly and with difficulty; "but it
seemed--the only thing to do at the time."

She laughed a low laugh again.

"Do you generally behave like that?"

"I don't know."

There was a pause and then I added--

"You see, you took me by surprise."

"Where were you when I first called?" she asked.

"Lying in the grass close by."

"Then"--with a vivid blush--"you must have--"

"Heard you singing? Yes."

"Oh!"

Again there was a pause, and this time the blackbird executed an
elaborate exercise with much delicacy and finish. The brown lashes
drooped, the lovely eyes were bent on the grass, and the little hand
swung the creeper nervously backward and forward.

"Why did you not warn me that I had an audience?"

"Because, in the first place, I was too late. When you began I
was--"

"What?" she asked as I hesitated.

"Asleep."

"And I disturbed you. I am so sorry."

"I am not."

I was growing bolder as she became more embarrassed. I looked down
upon her now from my superior height, and my heart went out to
worship the grace of God's handiwork. With a touch of resentment she
drew herself up, held out her hand, and said somewhat proudly--

"I thank you, sir, for this service."

I took the hand, but not the hint. It was an infinitesimal hand as
it lay in my big brown one, and yet it stung my frame as with some
delicious and electric shock. My heart beat wildly and my eyes
remained fixed upon hers.

The colour on the fair face deepened a shade: the little chin was
raised a full inch, and the voice became perceptibly icy.

"I must go, sir. I hope I have thanked you as far as I can, and--"

"And what?"

"Forgive me that I was about to offer you money."

The hat's brim bent now, but under it I could see the honest eyes
full of pain.

"Forgive you!" I cried