But whatever he had been getting
into he was out of it now; his face and Rose's face had the same light
in them.
"I shall adore you for ever now," said Frederick.
Scrap smiled. "Shall you?" she said.
"I adored you before because of your beauty. Now I adore you
because you're not only as beautiful as a dream but as decent as a
man."
"When the impetuous young woman," Frederick went on, "the
blessedly impetuous young woman, blurted out in the nick of time that I
am Rose's husband, you behaved exactly as a man would have behaved to
his friend."
"Did I?" said Scrap, her enchanting dimple very evident.
"It's the rarest, most precious of combinations," said Frederick,
"to be a woman and have the loyalty of a man."
"Is it?" smiled Scrap, a little wistfully. These were indeed
handsome compliments. If only she were really like that . . .
"And I want to kiss your shoes."
"Won't this save trouble?" she asked, holding out her hand.
He took it and swiftly kissed it, and was hurrying away again.
"Bless you," he said as he went.
"Where is your luggage?" Scrap called after him.
"Oh, Lord, yes--" said Frederick, pausing. "It's at the
station."
"I'll send for it."
He disappeared through the bushes. She went indoors to give the
order; and this is how it happened that Domenico, for the second time
that evening, found himself journeying into Mezzago and wondering as he
went.
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