'
'You aren't going to marry him?'
'No.'
The world stood still. The noise of the crickets and all the
little sounds of summer smote on Nutty's ear in one discordant
shriek.
'Oh, gosh!' he exclaimed, faintly, and collapsed on the front
steps like a jelly-fish.
23
The spectacle of Nutty in his anguish did not touch Elizabeth.
Normally a kind-hearted girl, she was not in the least sorry for
him. She had even taken a bitter pleasure and found a momentary
relief in loosing the thunderbolt which had smitten him down. Even
if it has to manufacture it, misery loves company. She watched
Nutty with a cold and uninterested eye as he opened his mouth
feebly, shut it again and reopened it; and then when it became
apparent that these manoeuvres were about to result in speech, she
left him and walked quickly down the drive again. She had the
feeling that if Nutty were to begin to ask her questions--and he
had the aspect of one who is about to ask a thousand--she would
break down. She wanted solitude and movement, so she left Nutty
sitting and started for the gate. Presently she would go and do
things among the beehives; and after that, if that brought no
solace, she would go in and turn the house upside down and get
dusty and tired. Anything to occupy herself.
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