As she spoke she looked at him with her eyes not quite so wide open as usual.  Ralph returned her gaze steadfastly.

“I know what you are thinking of,” he said.  “You are thinking of a fable with an animal in it and some fruit, and the animal was a small one, and the fruit was on a high trellis.”

“Oh, dear,” said Dora.  “It must be very nice to have read as much as you have, and to know fables and all sorts of things to refer to.  But my life hasn’t been long enough for all that.”

The more Ralph’s mind dwelt upon the matter, the more dissatisfied did he feel that this beautiful young creature should marry the rector.  If, in truth, she applied the fable to him, this was all the more reason why he should feel sorry for her.  If anything of all this showed itself in his eyes, he did not know it, but Dora’s eyes opened to their full width, and grew softer.

“I expect I surprise you,” she said, “by talking to you of these things, but I have so few friends to confide in.  Herbert is wrapped up in his own engagement, and Mrs. Bannister is entirely apart from me.  Almost ever since I have known you two, I have felt that Miriam and you were friends with whom I could talk freely, and I am now going to tell you, and I know you will never mention it, that I do not believe I shall ever marry Mr. Ames.”

“What!” exclaimed Ralph.  “Didn’t you say you were engaged to him?”

“Of course I said so; and I am, and I was very glad to be able to say it to Miss Panney, for she is always bothering me about such things; but the engagement is a peculiar one.  Mr. Ames has been coming to see me for a long time, and I think it was because he heard that I was planning to go away that he decided to declare himself at once, before he lost his opportunity.  I told him that I had never thought of anything of the sort; but he was very insistent, and at last I consented, provided the engagement should be a long one, and that, if after I had seen more of the world and knew myself better, I should decide to change my mind, I must be allowed to do so.  He fought terribly against this, but there was nothing for him to do but agree, and so now we are engaged on approbation, as it were.  This is a great relief to me in various ways, because I feel as if I were safely anchored, and not drifting about whichever way the wind blows, while other people are sailing where they want to; and yet, whenever I please, I can loosen my anchor, and spread my sails, and skim away over the beautiful sea.”

It is seldom that a siren, leaning lightly against a bright new hay-cutter, with a background of iron rakes and hoes and spades, sings her soft song.  But it was so now, and Dora, her heart beating quickly, looked from under her long lashes to note the effect of her words.

“If he will drop the little Drane,” she said to herself, “I will drop the rector.”

But Ralph stood looking past her.  It was as plain as could be that he was not approaching the rocks; that he did not like the song; and that he was thinking what he should say about it.