He caught her hands, and they laughed.

"What do you feel for me, Carolan?" he asked.

"Would I not love the person who rescued me from that horror?”

"But love is more than that...”

"But that was the beginning. I loved and loved and loved you, Everard.

You did not show any sign of loving me.”

"Did I not?" he asked in surprise, and she laughed with pleasure, thinking of those days; and it was all part of the pleasure of this evening that Margaret had ceased to love him.

"Not a bit!" she said, and laughing, moving nearer to him, she murmured: "And do you now, Everard ? I am not so sure.”

It was invitation, and Everard took it; he put his arms about her. He would have kissed her gently on the mouth, but there was no gentleness in Carolan. Everard was a little shocked, and because it was exciting to be shocked, he was enchanted with her. He had meant to explain, as one would to a child, that he loved her, that one day he would marry her perhaps in one year, perhaps in two; he had meant to be gentle; but it was Carolan who was leading the way and she sixteen, while he had lived twenty-four years. Carolan was no child; she was a woman because she had been born a woman.

She said: "For so long I have wanted you to kiss me, darling!”

And he drew back, still shocked, but mightily intrigued. This was so different from what he had imagined; he had rehearsed little speeches ... "Do not be frightened, Carolan. You are too young to understand ... You will be safe with me. I will wait until you are ready ..." And she put her lips to his, and there was a quiver of passion in her as she said: "For so long I have wanted you to kiss me!”

He said rather hesitantly: "Carolan, let us sit down." They sat, and he put his arms about her; she caught his fingers and held them fast against her breast. He thought, she is so innocent, this little Carolan I And he made up his mind to marry her soon and look after her.

Wayward she might be, as her mother evidently was, but she was sweet and impulsive and loving and passionate, She needed a curbing hand; and it should be his gentle hand "You know I shall be leaving here soon, Carolan. I shall have a ( living and ... and ... I shall want you to come with me as my wife.”

Through half-closed eyes she saw the moonlit garden, the outline of trees and hedges. There was a scent of lime trees in the summer-house, and this was the happiest moment of her life.

"Everard," she said, I will come. Any time you wish, I will come. I will come tomorrow.”

He laughed gently and put his lips to her mouth, because he longed to feel the eagerness rising in her. It delighted him, alarmed him a little.

"My darling," he said, "I shall not ask you to come tomorrow. These things need a good deal of arranging, you know.”

She lay back in the seat, and he saw her wide eyes, her parted lips.

"Ah, but I meant if you wanted me to come tomorrow, I would.”

 "My sweet Carolan! But think, there is your family and mine!”

"But, Everard, what do we care for them? It is you and I... is it not?”

She was like a wild bird, he thought. She was enchanting; she was delightful. He wanted to fall on her and kiss her, and blot out the rest of the world as surely she was inviting him to. He remembered his sober years. I am a man; she is but a child, for all her exciting ways, her ball dress and her passionate love. The exciting things were so often forbidden, were they not? The things that appealed to the senses must be eschewed. Oh, yes, that was what he had always thought.

In the days of his boyhood he had thought of entering a monastery; suffering hardship for his faith; he used to think up forms of self-torment as other boys invent new games. In those days he had told himself he would never marry, and he had meant it too, until Carolan came, with that particular quality in her which turned his thoughts from his religion to sensual love. He had compromised then; a priest may take a wife, may he not? He was no Catholic no monk! He shivered to think of the predicament he might have been in, had his mother granted his wish to enter a monastery.

And now Carolan was beside him. Carolan! Carolan! A man. even a man who is a parson, may enjoy his wife.

"Everard," she said, clasping her hands, "I shall be such a good wife to you. I shall have my work to do, shall I not? There are special duties of the parson's wife. Do you think I will suit, Everard?”

He gripped her shoulders hard, trying to fight the excitement that was coming on him again.

"You will suit Everard perfectly," he said, and she laughed, and her laughter was that of a child.

"I must give up climbing trees, must I not, Everard?”

"Indeed you must!”

"I shall have to behave with the greatest decorum? Shall we have a grand wedding, Everard ... and when?”

"Soon," said Everard.

"It must be soon.”

"Yes, I think so too. Soon... and I shall wear white and there will be a grand ceremony. Your father will marry us. Everard, do you think they will mind your marrying me?”

"Mind. Our families have always been friends, have they not?”

She clasped his arm.

"Of course! Of course!”

They were silent; he could feel her fingers pressing his arm, and her face was white in the moonlight.

"Is not life wonderful... wonderful," she said.

"Happiness like this... such as I never dreamed of I Oh, what a mistake it is not to be happy when there is happiness all around you waiting to be taken!”

"We may not take what is not meant for us, darling," said Everard gently.

"May we not? I would. I will snatch at it when no one is looking if need be.”

"You are a baby still, Carolan," "No. Really I am very wise. But I am not good, like you, Everard. You would never take what was not meant for you. And it is because you are so different from me that I love you.”

They were silent while he kept his arm about her. She was holding his hand, kissing it, setting it against the cool skin other shoulder. She was full of innocent provocation. He was alarmed for her and for himself, and it was he who said they should go in; they had been in the summer-house for a long time, and people would notice. Carolan herself had lost all sense of time; she had forgotten that others existed to notice.

But if Everard wished to go in, they must go in. As they walked across the lawn, she said fervently: "I shall be a good wife to you. Everard.

I shall do everything you say ... always. Oh, you will be surprised in me! So good I shall be ... sedate and careful everything that you wish.”

Everard said: "But perhaps I would not wish you to be different from what you are.”

Her laughter echoed round them.

"Then, my sweet Everard, that will be very easy, very easy indeed.”

They had been gone a long time, and when they were back in the ballroom, curious glances were cast in their direction. Their flushed faces told their own story. Women smiled behind their fans; men's eyes lighted up with amusement. Mrs. Orland's face was blank with disapproval and disbelief. The squire's was black as thunder. When he was in a rage he had no thought for the proprieties; he went across the ballroom to Carolan, and spoke to her in a voice which several people standing round him heard. Mrs. Orland drew Everard aside.

"You will go to your room at once," said the squire.

"I will have an explanation of this disgusting behaviour.”

Carolan's green eyes opened very wide.

"Oh, but..”

The squire lowered his voice slightly, but the fury in it was unmistakable.

"Go at once," he said, 'or I will take you.”

"I do not understand," said Carolan.

"The ball is not over yet, and it is my first ball and I...”

"Evidently," said the squire, 'you have to learn how to behave, before you go to a ball. You behave like a kitchen girl. Get up to your room at once!”

She stared at the blue veins standing out on his forehead. And then Everard turned from his mother.

"Allow me to explain, Squire." he said.

"It was entirely due to me...”

"Allow me to look after my own family, sir!" retorted the squire with murder in his eyes. Mrs. Orland, who above all things, dreaded gossip, plucked Everard's sleeve.

"Everard, come with me quickly. The squire knows best where his daughter is concerned.”

Eyes were watching. The music was playing; couples watched as they danced: their eyes were full of amusement and speculation. The naughty little girl and the parson's son! It was rather a good joke.

If you do not go to your room this minute," said the squire between his teeth, "I will tear that contraption of lace and ribbons off you, and lay about you with my own hands here and now. I mean it, Madam. I repeat, go to your room." Mrs. Orland's eyes were pleading; Everard was undecided.

"I am going," said Carolan, and the anger of the squire could not quell the happiness in her.

She went to her room. So this was the end of her first ball! She looked at herself in the mirror. Changed, she was grown up. She loved, and was loved; that had put colour into her eyes, a radiance on her face. Everard ... wonderful, beautiful, clever, kind, good Everard loved her and they would be married. I will be so good, she thought, so good. She had almost forgotten her undignified retreat from the ballroom; she had almost forgotten the anger of the squire, until she heard his step outside her door. He burst in angrily, so that the door crashed against the side of the wall.

"Ah." he said.