When they were seated beneath an old riven, withered oak, looking down upon the river, they were still divided in the same way.  In seating herself she had been very anxious not to disarrange that arrangement, almost equally anxious not to seem to adhere to it with any special purpose.  She was very careful that there should be nothing seen in her manner that was in any way special, but in the meantime she was suffering an agony of trouble.  He did not care for her in the least.  She was becoming sure of that.  She had given all her love to a man who had none to give her in return.  As she thought of this she almost longed for the offer of that which she knew she could not have accepted had it been offered to her.  But she talked on about the scenery, about the weather, descanting on the pleasure of living where such loveliness was within reach.  Then there came a pause for a moment.  ‘Nora’ said Priscilla, ’I do not know what you are thinking about, but it is not of the beauty of Niddon Park.  Then there came a faint sound as of an hysterical sob, and then a gurgle in the throat, and then a pretence at laughter.

‘I don’t believe I am thinking of anything at all’ said Nora.

After which Hugh insisted on descending to the bank of the river, but, as the necessity of re-climbing the slope was quite manifest, none of the girls would go with him.  ‘Come, Miss Rowley’ said he, ’will you not show them that a lady can go up and down a hill as well as a man?’

‘I had rather not go up and down the hill’ said she.

Then he understood that she was angry with him; and in some sort surmised the cause of her anger.  Not that he believed that she loved him; but it seemed possible to him that she resented the absence of his attention.  He went down, and scrambled out on the rocks into the bed of the river, while the girls above looked down upon him, watching the leaps that he made.  Priscilla and Mrs Trevelyan called to him, bidding him beware; but Nora called not at all.  He was whistling as he made his jumps, but still he heard their voices, and knew that he did not hear Nora’s voice.  He poised himself on the edge of a rock in the middle of the stream, and looked up the river and down the river, turning himself carefully on his narrow foothold; but he was thinking only of Nora.  Could there be anything nobler than to struggle on with her, if she only would be willing?  But then she was young; and should she yield to such a request from him, she would not know what she was yielding.  He turned again, jumping from rock to rock till he reached the bank, and then made his way again up to the withered oak.

‘You would not have repented it if you had come down with me’ he said to Nora.

‘I am not so sure of that’ she answered.