I was so awful put
about, and didn't know no more nor a child what I was saying; and I wanted
to tell ye I'm sorry for it, and I beg your pardon--very humble, I do.'
I did not know what to say. I therefore said nothing, but made a grave
inclination, and passed on.
Two or three times Milly and I saw him at a little distance in our walks.
He never attempted to join us. Once only he passed so near that some
recognition was inevitable, and he stopped and in silence lifted his hat
with an awkward respect. But although he did not approach us, he was
ostentatious with a kind of telegraphic civility in the distance. He opened
gates, he whistled his dogs to 'heel,' he drove away cattle, and then
himself withdrew. I really think he watched us occasionally to render these
services, for in this distant way we encountered him decidedly oftener than
we used to do before his flattering proposal of marriage.
You may be sure that we discussed, Milly and I, that occurrence pretty
constantly in all sorts of moods. Limited as had been her experience of
human society, she very clearly saw _now_ how far below its presentable
level was her hopeful brother.
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