Hector
took her to her mother's door, and when he returned he found that his
father and mother had retired. But it may be well that I should tell a
little more of what had passed between the lovers before they parted.
Annie's first thought when they were left together was, "Alas! what will
my mistress say? She must think the worst possible of me!"
"Oh, Hector!" she broke out, "whatever will your mother think of me?"
"No good, I'm afraid," answered Hector honestly. "But that is hardly
what we have to think of at this precise moment."
"Take back what you said!" cried Annie; "I will promise you never to
think of it again--at least, I will _try_ never once to do so. It
must have been all my fault--though I do not know how, and never dreamed
it was coming. Perhaps I shall find out, when I think over it, where I
was to blame."
"I have no doubt you are capable of inventing a hundred reasons--after
hearing your awful guilty confession to my father, you little innocent!"
answered Hector.
And the ice thus broken, things went on a good deal better, and they
came to talk freely.
"Of course," said Hector, "I am not so silly or so wicked as to try to
persuade you that my mother will open her arms to you. She knows neither
you nor herself."
"Will she be terribly angry?" said Annie, with a foreboding quaver in
her voice.
"Rather, I am afraid," allowed Hector.
"Then don't you think we had better give it up at once?"
"Never forever!" cried Hector.
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