"
She spoke with tears in her eyes; but Scott still smiled. "My dear
child," he said, "such an idea never entered my head. Isabel and I have
often thought we should like to make this our home. We have always
intended to as soon as Eustace married."
"Did you never think of marrying?" Dinah asked him suddenly.
There was an instant's pause, and then, as he was about to speak, she
broke in quickly.
"Oh, please don't tell me! I was a pig to ask! I didn't mean to. It just
slipped out. Do forgive me!"
"But why shouldn't you ask?" said Scott gently. "We are friends. I don't
mind answering you. I've had my dream like the rest of the world. But it
was very soon over. I never seriously deluded myself into the belief that
anyone could care to marry a shrimp like me."
"Oh, Scott!" Almost fiercely Dinah cut him short. "How can you--you of
all people--say a thing like that?"
Scott looked at her quizzically for a moment. "I should have thought I
was the one person who could say it," he observed.
Dinah turned from him sharply. Her hands were clenched. "Oh no! Oh no!"
she said incoherently. "It's not right! It's not fair! You--you--Mr.
Greatheart!" Quite suddenly, as if the utterance of the name were too
much for her, she broke down, covered her face, and wept.
"Dinah!" said Scott.
He came to her and took her very gently by the arm. Dinah's shoulders
were shaking.
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