She wanted to rebuild her
defences. She wanted to be quite sure of herself.
"Oh, I shall take great care of myself," she said. "I'm very good
at that."
"I wonder," said Burke, And then he laid his hand upon the flicking
duster and stopped her quivering activity. "Are you still--hating
me?" he said.
She stood motionless, and still her eyes avoided his. "I'll tell
you," she said, "when we meet again."
"Does that mean that I am to go--unforgiven?" he said.
Against her will she looked at him. In spite of her, her lip
trembled,
He put his arm round her. "Does it?" he said.
"No," she whispered back.
In that moment they were nearer than they had been through all the
weeks of Guy's illness, nearer possibly than they had ever been
before. It would have been so easy for Sylvia to lean upon that
strong encircling arm, so easy that she wondered afterwards how she
restrained the impulse to do so. But the moment passed so quickly,
sped by the sound of Kelly's feet upon the _stoep_, and Burke's arm
pressed her close and then fell away.
There was neither disappointment nor annoyance on his face as he
turned to meet his guest. He was even smiling.
Sylvia recalled that smile afterwards--the memory of it went with
her through all the bitter hours that followed.
CHAPTER IX
FOR THE SAKE OF THE OLD LOVE
Kelly accompanied Burke when, after hurried preparation and
consultation with Schafen, he finally took the rough road that
wound by the _kopje_ on his way to the Merstons' farm.
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