Part 33 (1/2)

”All right,” he said. ”Say I did it all! It doesn't matter how you put it. The fact remains.”

”What fact?” said Toby swiftly.

He clasped her a little closer. ”Well,--do you think I'm going to let you go--after this?”

She caught her breath sharply. ”What do you mean? I--I--I don't know what you mean!”

There was quick agitation in her voice. Again she sought to free herself, and again he frustrated her. But the violence had gone out of his hold.

There was even a touch of dignity about him as he made reply.

”I mean, you little wild b.u.t.terfly, that now I've got you, I'm going to keep you. You'll have to marry me and make the best of me.”

”Marry you!” said Toby as one incredulous.

”Yes. What's the matter with the idea? Don't you want to?” Bunny's good-looking young face came close to hers. He was laughing, but there was a half-coaxing note in his voice as well.

Toby was silent for a moment. Then: ”You're mad!” she said tersely.

”I'm not!” said Bunny. ”I'm perfectly serious. Don't you understand that when this kind of thing gets hold of you, there's no getting away from it? We can't possibly go back to where we were before--behave as if nothing had happened. You wouldn't want to, would you?”

There was a hint of pleading in his tone now. Toby made a curious little gesture that seemed to express a measure of rea.s.surance. But, ”I don't know,” she said somewhat dubiously.

”You aren't angry, are you?” said Bunny softly.

She hesitated. ”I was.”

”Yes, but not now--when you've begun to realize what a jolly thing life together would be. It isn't as if we'd never met before. We're pals already.”

”Yes; we're pals,” said Toby, but still her voice was dubious.

”I say, be a sport!” the boy urged suddenly. ”You said you weren't afraid of me. Don't chuck the best thing in life for want of a little ordinary courage!”

”What is--the best thing in life?” said Toby.

His hold grew close again, but it remained gentle. ”You marry me,” he said, ”and I'll show you!”

There was something sublime rather than ridiculous in his a.s.surance. Toby caught her breath again as if about to laugh, and then quite suddenly, wholly unexpectedly, she began to cry.

”You poor little darling!” said Bunny.

She leaned her head upon his shoulder, fighting great sobs that threatened to overwhelm her. It was not often that Toby cried, and this was no mere child's distress. Indeed there was about it something that filled her companion with a curious kind of awe. He held her closely and comfortingly, but for some reason he could not speak to her, could not even attempt to seek the cause of her trouble. As his sister had done before him, though almost unconsciously, he sensed a barrier that he might not pa.s.s.

Toby regained her self-command at last, stood for a s.p.a.ce in silence, her face still hidden, then abruptly raised it and uttered a little quivering laugh.

”You great big silly!” she said. ”I'm not going to marry you, so there!

Now let me go!”

Her tone and action put him instantly at his ease. This was the Toby he knew.