Elizabeth would have been startled and embarrassed if she could
have read his thoughts, for they might have suggested to her that
she was becoming a great deal fonder of Bill than the shortness of
their acquaintance warranted. But though she did not fail to
observe the strangeness of her brother's manner, she traced it to
another source than the real one. Nutty had a habit of starting
back and removing himself when, entering the porch, he perceived
that Bill and his sister were already seated there. His own
impression on such occasions was that he was behaving with
consummate tact. Elizabeth supposed that he had had some sort of a
spasm.
Lord Dawlish, if he had been able to diagnose correctly the almost
paternal attitude which had become his host's normal manner these
days, would have been equally embarrassed but less startled, for
conscience had already suggested to him from time to time that he
had been guilty of a feeling toward Elizabeth warmer than any
feeling that should come to an engaged man. Lying in bed at the
end of his first week at the farm, he reviewed the progress of his
friendship with her, and was amazed at the rapidity with which it
had grown.
He could not conceal it from himself--Elizabeth appealed to him.
Being built on a large scale himself, he had always been attracted
by small women.
Pages:
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134