“Now I am at your service!  You look very serious!—­grave as a little judge, and quite reproachful!  What have I done?—­or what has anybody done that you should almost frown at me on this bright sun-shiny morning?”

She smiled in response to his gay, questioning look.

“I’m sorry I have such a depressing aspect,” she said—­“I don’t feel very happy, and I suppose my face shows it.”

He was silent for a minute or two, watching her with a grave tenderness in his eyes.

By and by he spoke, gently—­

“Come and stroll about a bit with me through the orchard,—­it will cheer you to see the apples hanging in such rosy clusters among the grey-green leaves.  Nothing prettier in all the world, I think!—­and they are just ripening enough to be fragrant.  Come, dear!  Let us talk our troubles out!”

She walked by his side, mutely—­and they moved slowly together under the warm scented boughs, through which the sunlight fell in broad streams of gold, making the interlacing shadows darker by contrast.  There was a painful throbbing in her throat,—­the tension of struggling tears which strove for an outlet,—­but gradually the sweet influences of the air and sunshine did good work in calming her nerves, and she was quite composed when Robin spoke again.

“You see, dear, I know quite well what is worrying you.  I’m worried myself—­and I’d better tell you all about it.  Last night—­” he paused.

She looked up at him, quickly.

“Last night?—­Well?”

“Well—­Ned Landon was in hiding in the bushes under your window—­ and he must have been there all the time we were talking together.  How or why he came there I cannot imagine.  But he heard a good deal—­and when you shut your window he was waiting for me.  Directly I got down he pounced on me like a tramp-thief, and—­now there!—­don’t look so frightened!—­he said something that I couldn’t stand, so we had a jolly good fight.  He got the worst of it, I can tell you!  He’s stiff and unfit to work to-day—­that’s why Uncle Hugo has taken him to the town.  I told the whole story to Uncle Hugo this morning—­and he says I did quite right.  But it’s a bore to have to go on ‘bossing’ Landon—­he bears me a grudge, of course—­and I foresee it will be difficult to manage him.  He can hardly be dismissed—­the other hands would want to know why; no man has ever been dismissed from Briar Farm without good and fully explained reasons.  This time no reasons could be given, because your name might come in, and I won’t have that—­”

“Oh, Robin, it’s all my fault!” she exclaimed.  “If you would only let me go away!  Help me—­do help me to go away!”

He stared at her, amazed.

“Go away!” he echoed—­“You!  Why, Innocent, how can you think of such a thing!  You are the very life and soul of the place—­how can you talk of going away!  No, no!—­not unless”—­here he drew nearer and looked at her steadily and tenderly in the eyes—­“not unless you will let me take you away!—­just for a little while!—­as a bridegroom takes a bride—­on a honeymoon of love and sunshine and roses—­”