Page:Life's little ironies (1894).pdf/126

was about to go out again, when Emily’s form darkened the doorway, hastening home from some errand. At sight of Jolliffe she started back as if she would have gone out again.

“Don’t ran away, Emily; don’t!” said he. “What can make ye afraid ?”

“I'm not afraid, Captain Jolliffe. Only—only I saw you all of a sudden, and—it made me jump!” Her voice showed that her heart had jumped even more than the rest of her.

“I just called as I was passing,” he said.

“For some paper?” She hastened behind the counter.

“No, no, Emily; why do ye get behind there? Why not stay by me? You seem to hate me.”

“I don’t hate you. How can I?”

“Then come out, so that we can talk like Christians,”

Emily obeyed with a fitful laugh, till ahe stood again beside him in the open part of the shop.

" There’s a dear,” he said.

“You mustn't say that, Captain Jolliffe; because the words belong to somebody else.”

“Ah! I know what you mean. But, Emily, upon my life I didn’t know till this morning that you cared one bit about me, or I should not have done as I have done. I have the beat of feelings for Joanna, but I know that from the beginuing she hasn’t cared for me more than in a friendly way; and I ace now the one I ought to have asked to be my wife. You know, Emily, when a man comes home from sea after a long voyage he’s as blind as a but—he can’t see who's who in women. They are all alike to bim, beautiful creatures, and he takes the first that comes eagy, without thinking if she loves him, or if he might not soon love another better than her, From the first I inclined to you most, bat you were so backward and