He added that she had not a single friend to stand by and make
things easier for her. It was that, Miss Harford, that decided me to
take this step. I can't see a woman driven against her will; anything in
the world sooner than that. And here comes my request. You want a friend
to help you. Let me be that friend. There is a way out of this
difficulty if you will but take it. Since I got you into it, it is only
fair that I should be the one to help you out. This is not a proposal of
marriage, though it may sound like one."
He ended with a smile that was perfectly friendly and kind.
The rigid look had completely passed from the girl's face. She was
listening with a curious blend of eagerness and reluctance. Her cheeks
were burning; her eyes like stars.
"I am so thankful to hear you say that," she said, drawing a deep
breath.
"Shall I go on?" said Cheveril.
She hesitated; and very quietly he held out his hand to her.
"In the capacity of a friend," he said gravely.
And Evelyn Harford put her hand into his with the confidence of a child.
It was strange to feel her prejudice against this man evaporate at a
touch. It made her oddly unsure of herself. He was the last person in
the world to whom she would have voluntarily turned for help.
"Don't be startled by what I am going to say," Cheveril said. "It may
strike you as an eccentric suggestion, but there is nothing in it to
alarm you.
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