As I look back and remember all that happened--I
don't think that anyone at Old Place behaved either kindly or fairly to
him--I mean about our engagement."
Miss Pendarth was moved as well as surprised by Betty's quiet words. The
girl was extraordinarily reserved--she very rarely spoke out her secret
thoughts. But Miss Pendarth was destined to be even more surprised, for
Betty suddenly put out her hand, and laid it on the other's arm.
"I want to tell you," she said earnestly, "that as far as I am concerned,
everything that happened then is quite, quite over. I don't think that
Godfrey would have been happy with me, and so I feel that we both had a
great escape. I want to tell you this because so many people knew of our
engagement, and I'm afraid his coming back like this may cause a lot of
silly, vulgar talk."
Miss Pendarth was more touched than she would have cared to admit even to
herself. "You can count on me, my dear," she said gravely, "and may I
say, Betty, that I feel sure you're right in feeling that you would have
been most unhappy with him?"
As Betty walked on to the post office she was glad that _that_ little
ordeal was over.
* * * * *
John Tosswill was one of those men who instinctively avoid and put off
as long as may be, a difficult or awkward moment.
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