Volume Ii Part 7 (2/2)
But she felt, with warming cheeks, that she did not like to do it with two people sitting still and looking at her. The gentleman presently rose.
”Don't go till we have had tea, Mr. Olmney,” said Mrs.
Plumfield.
”Thank you, Ma'am; I cannot stay, I believe, unless Miss Fleda will let me take care of her down the hill by and by.”
”Thank you, Mr. Olmney,” said Fleda, ”but I am not going home before night, unless they send for me.”
”I am afraid,” said he, looking at her, ”that the agricultural turn has proved an overmatch for your energies.”
”The farm don't complain of me, does it?” said Fleda, looking up at him with a comic, grave expression of countenance.
”No,” said he, laughing, ”certainly not; but, if you will forgive me for saying so, I think you complain of it, tacitly ? and that will raise a good many complaints in other quarters, if you do not take care of yourself.”
He shook hands and left them; and Mrs. Plumfield sat silently looking at Fleda, who, on her part, looked at nothing but the gray stocking.
”What is all this, Fleda?”
”What is what, aunt Miriam?” said Fleda, picking up a st.i.tch with desperate diligence.
”Why did you want to run away from Mr. Olmney?”
”I didn't wish to be delayed, ? I wanted to get home.”
”Then, why wouldn't you let him go home with you?”
”I liked better to go alone, aunt Miriam.”
”Don't you like him, Fleda?”
”Certainly, aunt Miriam; very much.”
”I think he likes you Fleda,” said her aunt, smiling.
”I am very sorry for it,” said Fleda, with great gravity.
Mrs. Plumfield looked at her for a few minutes in silence, and then said ?
”Fleda, love, come over here and sit by me, and tell me what you mean. Why are you sorry? It has given me a great deal of pleasure to think of it.”
But Fleda did not budge from her seat or her stocking, and seemed tongue-tied. Mrs. Plumfield pressed for an answer.
”Because, aunt Miriam,” said Fleda, with the prettiest red cheeks in the world, but speaking very clearly and steadily, ”my liking only goes to a point which, I am afraid, will not satisfy either him or you.”
”But why? ? it will go further.”
”No, Ma'am.”
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