‘My dear Eddy,’ said Rosa, when they had turned out of the High Street, and had got among the quiet walks in the neighbourhood of the Cathedral and the river:  ’I want to say something very serious to you.  I have been thinking about it for a long, long time.’

’I want to be serious with you too, Rosa dear.  I mean to be serious and earnest.’

’Thank you, Eddy.  And you will not think me unkind because I begin, will you?  You will not think I speak for myself only, because I speak first?  That would not be generous, would it?  And I know you are generous!’

He said, ‘I hope I am not ungenerous to you, Rosa.’  He called her Pussy no more.  Never again.

‘And there is no fear,’ pursued Rosa, ’of our quarrelling, is there?  Because, Eddy,’ clasping her hand on his arm, ’we have so much reason to be very lenient to each other!’

‘We will be, Rosa.’

’That’s a dear good boy!  Eddy, let us be courageous.  Let us change to brother and sister from this day forth.’

‘Never be husband and wife?’

‘Never!’

Neither spoke again for a little while.  But after that pause he said, with some effort: 

’Of course I know that this has been in both our minds, Rosa, and of course I am in honour bound to confess freely that it does not originate with you.’

‘No, nor with you, dear,’ she returned, with pathetic earnestness.  ’That sprung up between us.  You are not truly happy in our engagement; I am not truly happy in it.  O, I am so sorry, so sorry!’ And there she broke into tears.

‘I am deeply sorry too, Rosa.  Deeply sorry for you.’

‘And I for you, poor boy!  And I for you!’

This pure young feeling, this gentle and forbearing feeling of each towards the other, brought with it its reward in a softening light that seemed to shine on their position.  The relations between them did not look wilful, or capricious, or a failure, in such a light; they became elevated into something more self-denying, honourable, affectionate, and true.

‘If we knew yesterday,’ said Rosa, as she dried her eyes, ’and we did know yesterday, and on many, many yesterdays, that we were far from right together in those relations which were not of our own choosing, what better could we do to-day than change them?  It is natural that we should be sorry, and you see how sorry we both are; but how much better to be sorry now than then!’

‘When, Rosa?’

‘When it would be too late.  And then we should be angry, besides.’

Another silence fell upon them.

‘And you know,’ said Rosa innocently, ’you couldn’t like me then; and you can always like me now, for I shall not be a drag upon you, or a worry to you.  And I can always like you now, and your sister will not tease or trifle with you.  I often did when I was not your sister, and I beg your pardon for it.’

’Don’t let us come to that, Rosa; or I shall want more pardoning than I like to think of.’