"Are you mad?" cried she angrily; "would you give him the
opportunity I prevented? He was waiting there to--to shoot you,
I think!"
And, after we had gone on some little way, I spoke.
"Was that why you--came to meet me?"
"Yes."
"And--kept so close beside me."
"Yes."
"Ah, yes, to be sure!" said I, and walked on in silence; and now
I noticed that she kept as far from me as the path would allow.
"Are you thinking me very--unmaidenly again, sir?"
"No," I answered; "no."
"You see, I had no other way. Had I told you that there was a
man hidden in the hedge you would have gone to look, and then
--something dreadful would have happened."
"How came you to know he was there?"
"Why, after I had prepared supper I climbed that steep path which
leads to the road and sat down upon the fallen tree that lies
there, to watch for you, and, as I sat there, I saw a man come
hurrying down the road."
"A very big man?"
"Yes, very tall he seemed, and, as I watched, he crept in behind
the hedge. While I was wondering at this, I heard your step on
the road, and you were whistling."
"And yet I seldom whistle."
"It was you--I knew your step."
"Did you, Charmian?"
"I do wish you would not interrupt, sir."
"I beg your pardon," said I humbly.
"And then I saw you coming, and the man saw you too, for he
crouched suddenly; I could only see him dimly in the shadow of
the hedge, but he looked murderous, and it seemed to me that if
you reached his hiding-place before I did--something terrible
would happen, and so--"
"You came to meet me."
"Yes."
"And walked close beside me, so that you were between me and the
shadow in the hedge?"
"Yes."
"And I thought--" I began, and stopped.
"Well, Peter?" Here she turned, and gave me a swift glance beneath
her lashes.
"--that it was because--you were--perhaps--rather glad to see
me." Charmian did not speak; indeed she was so very silent that
I would have given much to have seen her face just then, but the
light was very dim, as I have said, moreover she had turned her
shoulder towards me. "But I am grateful to you," I went on,
"very grateful, and--it was very brave of you!"