The moon was fast sinking below the treetops to our left, what
time we reached a road, or rather cart-track that wound away up a
hill. Faint and far a church clock slowly chimed the hour of
three, the solemn notes coming sweet and silvery with distance.
"What chimes are those?" I inquired.
"Cranbrook Church."
"Is it far to Cranbrook?"
"One mile this way, but two by the road yonder."
"You seem very well acquainted with these parts," said I.
"I have lived here all my life; those are the Cambourne Woods
over there--"
"Cambourne Woods!" said I.
"Part of the Sefton estates," she continued; "Cambourne village
lies to the right, beyond."
"The Lady Sophia Sefton of Cambourne!" said I thoughtfully.
"My dearest friend," nodded my companion.
"They say she is very handsome," said I.
"Then they speak truth, sir."
"She has been described to me," I went on, "as a Peach, a
Goddess, and a Plum; which should you consider the most proper
term? "My companion shot an arch glance at me from the corners
of her eyes, and I saw a dimple come and go, beside the curve of
her mouth.
"Goddess, to be sure," said she; "peaches have such rough skins,
and plums are apt to be sticky."
"And goddesses," I added, "were all very well upon Olympus, but,
in this matter-of-fact age, must be sadly out of place. Speaking
for myself--"
"Have you ever seen this particular Goddess?" inquired my
companion.
"Never."
"Then wait until you have, sir."
The moon was down now, yet the summer sky was wonderfully
luminous and in the east I almost fancied I could detect the
first faint gleam of day. And after we had traversed some
distance in silence, my companion suddenly spoke, but without
looking at me.
"You have never once asked who I am," she said, almost
reproachfully I thought, "nor how I came to be shut up in such a
place--with such a man."
"Why, as to that," I answered, "I make it a general rule to avoid
awkward subjects when I can, and never to ask questions that it
will be difficult to answer."
"I should find not the least difficulty in answering either,"
said she.
"Besides," I continued, "it is no affair of mine, after all."