Part 35 (2/2)
He removed his shoes, and rolled his trousers high.
”Now your arm around my neck, and no jumping or screaming until we're safe on the other sh.o.r.e.”
She hesitated just an instant, blushed, and slipped her soft round arm about his neck as he lifted her slight figure and began to pick his way across the treacherous surface of the slippery bottom. His foot slipped on a muddy stone. She gave a scream, and both arms gripped his neck in sudden fear. Her burning cheek pressed his forehead.
”I beg your pardon,” she cried, blus.h.i.+ng red. ”I didn't mean to smother you.”
”And I distinctly said no jumping or screaming, didn't I?”
”I won't do it again--oh, dear!”
Again both arms clasped his neck in a strangling, smothering hug, which he purposely prolonged with an extra slip which might have been avoided.
Her face was scarlet now and the blushes refused to go. They lingered in great red bunches after he had carefully placed her on the smooth gra.s.s on the opposite bank.
”Honestly, I'm afraid I disgraced myself, didn't I?” she asked, timidly.
”No. It was all my fault,” he replied. ”I did it on purpose.”
”Perhaps I choked you on purpose, too!” she answered, blus.h.i.+ng again.
Norman looked at her thoughtfully.
”You know I never saw you blush before. I like it.”
”Is it becoming?” she asked, demurely.
”Very.”
”You know I was never in a man's arms before.”
”And you didn't like it?” he asked, with a smile playing around his mouth.
”To tell you the truth, I found it very awkward.”
”Awkward?” he laughed.
”And exciting,” she confessed.
”Shall we repeat it until you are used to it?”
”Thank you, I'm sufficiently amused for to-day,” she answered, soberly. ”And now we will put on our shoes and be good children.”
For the rest of the journey Norman found her strangely silent. Now and then he caught her looking at him furtively out of her big brown eyes, as if she had just met him and was half afraid to go further.
He found himself particularly sensitive to her moods. The moment she became silent and thoughtful her impulses ruled his, and not a word was spoken for a mile. Scarcely two sentences pa.s.sed between them until they reached the summit of the range and sat down on the cliff overhanging the sea.
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