On the following morning he was much surprised by seeing Patience on the gravel path before Miss Le Smyrger’s gate immediately after breakfast.  He went to the door to open it for her, and she, as she gave him her hand, told him that she came up to speak to him.  There was no hesitation in her manner, nor any look of anger in her face.  But there was in her gait and form, in her voice and countenance, a fixedness of purpose which he had never seen before, or at any rate had never acknowledged.

‘Certainly,’ said he.  ’Shall I come out with you, or will you come upstairs?’

‘We can sit down in the summer-house,’ she said; and thither they both went.

‘Captain Broughton,’ she said—­and she began her task the moment that they were both seated—­’You and I have engaged ourselves as man and wife, but perhaps we have been over rash.’

‘How so?’ said he.

’It may be—­and indeed I will say more—­it is the case that we have made this engagement without knowing enough of each other’s character.’

‘I have not thought so.’

’The time will perhaps come when you will so think, but for the sake of all that we most value, let it come before it is too late.  What would be our fate—­how terrible would be our misery, if such a thought should come to either of us after we have linked our lots together.’

There was a solemnity about her as she thus spoke which almost repressed him,—­which for a time did prevent him from taking that tone of authority which on such a subject he would choose to adopt.  But he recovered himself.  ‘I hardly think that this comes well from you,’ he said.

’From whom else should it come?  Who else can fight my battle for me; and, John, who else can fight that same battle on your behalf?  I tell you this, that with your mind standing towards me as it does stand at present you could not give me your hand at the altar with true words and a happy conscience.  Is it not true?  You have half repented of your bargain already.  Is it not so?’

He did not answer her; but getting up from his seat walked to the front of the summer-house, and stood there with his back turned upon her.  It was not that he meant to be ungracious, but in truth he did not know how to answer her.  He had half repented of his bargain.

‘John,’ she said, getting up and following him so that she could put her hand upon his arm, ‘I have been very angry with you.’

‘Angry with me!’ he said, turning sharp upon her.

’Yes, angry with you.  You would have treated me like a child.  But that feeling has gone now.  I am not angry now.  There is my hand;—­the hand of a friend.  Let the words that have been spoken between us be as though they had not been spoken.  Let us both be free.’

‘Do you mean it?’ he asked.

‘Certainly I mean it.’  As she spoke these words her eyes were filled with tears in spite of all the efforts she could make to restrain them; but he was not looking at her, and her efforts had sufficed to prevent any sob from being audible.