Elsie had placed herself in a false position by her too open flirtation.
Frank Hallett did not go down to the bay with the other great people of Leichardt's Town. He stayed and spent part of the day with his fiancee. Ina was a good deal left to herself that day, for Lord Horace, to Lady Waveryng's annoyance, was making himself rather unpleasantly conspicuous with Mrs. Allanby. Lord Horace had, as Lord Waveryng put it, a little too much champagne on board. Lady Waveryng had come to the conclusion that the sooner her brother went to the Dell the better. Everybody was a little glad that the royal festivities had come to an end. It was Blake who paid attention to Ina, and saw that she had everything she wanted, and was taken care of. Ina had always disliked Blake. To-day she felt almost tenderly to him. She was certain from the way in which he had alluded to Elsie's coming marriage that he had a tenderness for her, and would, if he could, have married her himself. Ina never stopped to inquire why he could not marry Elsie. It seemed a received fact that Blake was not a marrying man.
It is rather the fashion in Leichardt's Town during the Session for members to pay calls in the morning. Blake walked across the paddock from Fermoy's the next day, and found Elsie alone and in the verandah sewing.
He came so softly that she did not even hear the gate click. When she saw that it was Blake she got up in some confusion, and then sat down again very pale.
"I beg your pardon for coming so early," he said, "I have got to be at the House—that is one of the penalties of being a minister now."
"Yes," she said faintly.
"I want to ask you," he went on, "to forget an episode which I bitterly regret, and to let me be your friend. I asked you the other night not to think too hardly of me. I ask it again now."
"I don't think hardly of you," Elsie answered, in a low voice, not lifting her eyes. "I think hardly of myself. I have had a bitter lesson."
