Maldon was ill in bed."
"Silly old fool! I hope you didn't take any notice of him."
"Yes, that's all very fine, that is! It's easy for you to talk like
that. But--but--well, I suppose there's nothing more to be said!" She
moved to one side; her anger was rising. She knew that it was rising.
She was determined that it should rise. She did not care. She rather
enjoyed the excitement. She smarted under her recent experience; she
was deeply miserable; and yet, at the same time, standing there close
to Louis in the rustling night, she was exultant as she certainly had
never been exultant before.
She walked forward grimly. Louis turned and followed her.
"I'm most frightfully sorry," he said.
She replied fiercely--
"It isn't as if I didn't wait. I waited in the porch I don't know how
long. Then of course I came home, as there was no sign of you."
"When I went back you weren't there; it must have been while you were
with old Batch; so I naturally didn't stay. I just came straight up
here. I was afraid you were vexed because I'd left you alone."
"Well, and if I was!" said Rachel, splendidly contradicting herself.
"It's not a very nice thing for a girl to be left alone like
that--_and all on account of a stick_!" There was a break in her
voice.
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