'
He broke off with a look of glad hope, and I could see it was
forbearance rather than constitutional diffidence that withheld him
from awakening the maiden's feelings. He was a very fine looking
man, in his prime--tall, strong, and well made, with a singularly
grave, thoughtful expression, and a rare but most winning smile; and
Anne was overflowing with affectionate gladness at intercourse with
one who belonged to the golden age of her childhood. I could
scarcely believe but that in the friction of the parting the spark
would be elicited, and I should even have liked to kindle it for
them myself, being tolerably certain that warm-hearted, unguarded
Parson Frank would forget all about his lady and blow it with all
his might.
We dined with the Fordyces at their hotel, and sat in the twilight
with the windows open, and we made Anne and Clarence sing, as both
could do without notes, but he would not undertake to remember
anything with an atom of sentiment in it, and when Anne did sing,
'Auld lang syne,' with all her heart, he went and got into a dark
corner, and barely said, 'Thank you.'
Not a definite answer could be extracted from him in reply to all
the warm invitations to Beachharbour that were lavished on us by the
father, while the daughter expatiated on its charms; the rocks I
might sketch, the waves and the delicious boating, and above all the
fisher children and the church.
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