I hope you will be
as happy, dear, staid Barbara, as if you had married----' He sees that
he has nearly given away the situation. He looks triumphantly at granny
as much as to say, 'Observe me; I'm not going to say a word about him.'
Granny comes to his aid. 'Perhaps Captain Dering has some little things
to do: and you, too, Barbara. They are leaving in an hour, John.'
For a moment the Colonel is again in danger. 'If you would like to take
Barbara into the garden, Captain Dering----' He recovers himself
instantly. 'No, not the garden, you wouldn't know your way about in the
garden.'
'Wouldn't I, Colonel?' the Captain says, smiling.
The answer is quite decisive. 'No, certainly not. I'll show it you some
day.'
He makes gleeful signs to granny. 'But there is a nice meadow just
beyond the shrubbery. Barbara knows the way; she often went there
with--' He checks himself. Granny signs to them to go, and Barbara,
kisses both the Colonel's hands. 'The Captain will be jealous, you
know,' he says, twinkling.
'Let me, dear,' says Barbara, arranging his cushions professionally.
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