As if the mischievous little god wished to take Polly at a disadvantage, or perhaps to give her another chance, just at that instant Mr. Sydney appeared at her side. How he got there was never very clear to Polly, but there he was, flushed, and a little out of breath, but looking so glad to see her that she had n't the heart to be stiff and cool, as she had fully intended to be when they met.
"Very warm, is n't it?" he said when he had shaken hands and fallen into step, just in the old way.
"You seem to find it so." And Polly laughed, with a sudden sparkle in her eyes. She really could n't help it, it was so pleasant to see him again, just when she was feeling so lonely.
"Have you given up teaching the Roths?" asked Sydney, changing the subject.
"No."
"Do you go as usual?"
"Yes."
"Well, it 's a mystery to me how you get there.""As much as it is to me how you got here so suddenly.""I saw you from the Shaws' window and took the liberty of running after you by the back street," he said, laughing.
"That is the way I get to the Roths," answered Polly. She did not mean to tell, but his frankness was so agreeable she forgot herself.
"It 's not nearly so pleasant or so short for you as the park.""I know it, but people sometimes get tired of old ways and like to try new ones."Polly did n't say that quite naturally, and Sydney gave her a quick look, as he asked;­"Do you get tired of old friends, too, Miss Polly?""Not often; but­" And there she stuck, for the fear of being ungrateful or unkind made her almost hope that he would n't take the hint which she had been carefully preparing for him.
There was a dreadful little pause, which Polly broke by saying abruptly;­"How is Fan?"
"Dashing, as ever. Do you know I 'm rather disappointed in Fanny, for she don't seem to improve with her years," said Sydney, as if he accepted the diversion and was glad of it.
"Ah, you never see her at her best. She puts on that dashing air before people to hide her real self. But I know her better; and I assure you that she does improve; she tries to mend her faults, though she won't own it, and will surprise you some day, by the amount of heart and sense and goodness she has got."Polly spoke heartily now, and Sydney looked at her as if Fanny's defender pleased him more than Fanny's defence.
"I 'm very glad to hear it, and willingly take your word for it. Everybody shows you their good side, I think, and that is why you find the world such a pleasant place.""Oh, but I don't! It often seems like a very hard and dismal place, and I croak over my trials like an ungrateful raven.""Can't we make the trials lighter for you?"The voice that put the question was so very kind, that Polly dared not look up, because she knew what the eyes were silently saying.
"Thank you, no. I don't get more tribulation than is good for me, Ifancy, and we are apt to make mistakes when we try to dodge troubles.""Or people," added Sydney in a tone that made Polly color up to her forehead.
"How lovely the park looks," she said, in great confusion.
"Yes, it 's the pleasantest walk we have; don't you think so?" asked the artful young man, laying a trap, into which Polly immediately fell.
"Yes, indeed! It 's always so refreshing to me to see a little bit of the country, as it were, especially at this season."Oh, Polly, Polly, what a stupid speech to make, when you had just given him to understand that you were tired of the park! Not being a fool or a cox-comb, Sydney put this and that together, and taking various trifles into the account, he had by this time come to the conclusion that Polly had heard the same bits of gossip that he had, which linked their names together, that she did n't like it, and tried to show she did n't in this way. He was quicker to take a hint than she had expected, and being both proud and generous, resolved to settle the matter at once, for Polly's sake as well as his own. So, when she made her last brilliant remark, he said quietly, watching her face keenly all the while;­"I thought so; well, I 'm going out of town on business for several weeks, so you can enjoy your 'little bit of country' without being annoyed by me.""Annoyed? Oh, no!" cried Polly earnestly; then stopped short, not knowing what to say for herself.
She thought she had a good deal of the coquette in her, and I 've no doubt that with time and training she would have become a very dangerous little person, but now she was far too transparent and straightforward by nature even to tell a white lie cleverly. Sydney knew this, and liked her for it, but he took advantage of it, nevertheless by asking suddenly;­"Honestly, now, would n't you go the old way and enjoy it as much as ever, if I was n't anywhere about to set the busybodies gossiping?""Yes," said Polly, before she could stop herself, and then could have bitten her tongue out for being so rude. Another awful pause seemed impending, but just at that moment a horseman clattered by with a smile and a salute, which caused Polly to exclaim, "Oh, there 's Tom!" with a tone and a look that silenced the words hovering on Sydney's lips, and caused him to hold out his hand with a look which made Polly's heart flutter then and ache with pity for a good while afterward, though he only said, "Good by, Polly."He was gone before she could do anything but look up at him with a remorseful face, and she walked on, feeling that the first and perhaps the only lover she would ever have, had read his answer and accepted it in silence. She did not know what else he had read, and comforted herself with the thought that he did not care for her very much, since he took the first rebuff so quickly.
Polly did not return to her favorite walk till she learned from Minnie that "Uncle" had really left town, and then she found that his friendly company and conversation was what had made the way so pleasant after all.
