II

That was a little while ago, now, and Laurie sitting over breakfast had had time to think it out, and by an act of sustained will to suspend his judgment.

He had come back again to the state I have described—­to nervous interest—­no more than that.  The terror seemed gone, and certainly the skepticism seemed gone too.  Now he had to face Maggie and his mother, and to see the grave....

Somehow he had become more accustomed to the idea that there might be real and solid truth under it all, and familiarity had bred ease.  Yet there was nervousness there too at the thought of going home.  There were moods in which, sitting or walking alone, he passionately desired it all to be true; other moods in which he was acquiescent; but in both there was a faint discomfort in the thought of meeting Maggie, and a certain instinct of propitiation towards her.  Maggie had begun to stand for him as a kind of embodiment of a view of life which was sane, wholesome, and curiously attractive; there was a largeness about her, a strength, a sense of fresh air that was delightful.  It was that kind of thing, he thought, that had attracted him to her during this past summer.  The image of Amy, on the other hand, more than ever now since those recent associations, stood for something quite contrary—­certainly for attractiveness, but of a feverish and vivid kind, extraordinarily unlike the other.  To express it in terms of time, he thought of Maggie in the morning, and of Amy in the evening, particularly after dinner.  Maggie was cool and sunny; Amy suited better the evening fever and artificial light.

And now Maggie had to be faced.

First he reflected that he had not breathed a hint, either to her or his mother, as to what had passed.  They both would believe that he had dropped all this.  There would then be no arguing, that at least was a comfort.  But there was a curious sense of isolation and division between him and the girl.

Yet, after all, he asked himself indignantly, what affair was it of hers?  She was not his confessor; she was just a convent-bred girl who couldn’t understand.  He would be aloof and polite.  That was the attitude.  And he would manage his own affairs.

He drew a few brisk draughts of smoke from his pipe and stood up.  That was settled.

* * * * *

It was in this determined mood then that he stepped out on to the platform at the close of this wintry day, and saw Maggie, radiant in furs, waiting for him, with her back to the orange sunset.

These two did not kiss one another.  It was thought better not.  But he took her hand with a pleasant sense of welcome and home-coming.

“Auntie’s in the brougham,” she said.  “There’s lots of room for the luggage on the top....  Oh!  Laurie, how jolly this is!”

It was a pleasant two-mile drive that they had.  Laurie sat with his back to the horses.  His mother patted his knee once or twice under the fur rug, and looked at him with benevolent pleasure.  It seemed at first a very delightful home-coming.  Mrs. Baxter asked after Mr. Morton, Laurie’s coach, with proper deference.