Night had quite closed in by the time they reached Budmouth harbour, sparkling with its white, red, and green lights in opposition to the shimmering path of the moon's reflection on the other side, which reached away to the horizon till the flecked ripples reduced themselves to sparkles as fine as gold dust.
'I will walk to the station and find out the exact time the train arrives,' said Springrove, rather eagerly, when they had landed.
She thanked him much.
'Perhaps we might walk together,' he suggested hesitatingly. She looked as if she did not quite know, and he settled the question by showing the way.
They found, on arriving there, that on the first day of that month the particular train selected for Graye's return had ceased to stop at Anglebury station.
'I am very sorry I misled him,' said Springrove.
'O, I am not alarmed at all,' replied Cytherea.
'Well, it's sure to be all right--he will sleep there, and come by the first in the morning. But what will you do, alone?' 'I am quite easy on that point; the landlady is very friendly. I must go indoors now. Good-night, Mr. Springrove.' 'Let me go round to your door with you?' he pleaded.
'No, thank you; we live close by.' He looked at her as a waiter looks at the change he brings back.
But she was inexorable.
'Don't--forget me,' he murmured. She did not answer.
'Let me see you sometimes,' he said.
'Perhaps you never will again--I am going away,' she replied in lingering tones; and turning into Cross Street, ran indoors and upstairs.
The sudden withdrawal of what was superfluous at first, is often felt as an essential loss. It was felt now with regard to the maiden. More, too, after a meeting so pleasant and so enkindling, she had seemed to imply that they would never come together again.
The young man softly followed her, stood opposite the house and watched her come into the upper room with the light. Presently his gaze was cut short by her approaching the window and pulling down the blind--Edward dwelling upon her vanishing figure with a hopeless sense of loss akin to that which Adam is said by logicians to have felt when he first saw the sun set, and thought, in his inexperience, that it would return no more.
He waited till her shadow had twice crossed the window, when, finding the charming outline was not to be expected again, he left the street, crossed the harbour-bridge, and entered his own solitary chamber on the other side, vaguely thinking as he went (for undefined reasons), 'One hope is too like despair For prudence to smother.'