'Doubt my words?' said Albert. 'That's cruel of you, Miss Stokes.'

Miss Stokes walked between them, close to Joe.

'Have you been to the circus?' she asked him.

'Yes,' he replied, mildly.

'Have _you_ been?' Albert asked her.

'Yes. I didn't see you,' she replied.

'What!--you say so! Didn't see us! Didn't think us worth looking at,'
began Albert. 'Aren't I as handsome as the clown, now? And you didn't as
much as glance in our direction? I call it a downright oversight.'

'I never _saw_ you,' reiterated Miss Stokes. 'I didn't know you saw me.'

'That makes it worse,' said Albert.

The road passed through a belt of dark pine-wood. The village, and the
branch road, was very near. Miss Stokes put out her fingers and felt for
Joe's hand as it swung at his side. To say he was staggered is to put it
mildly. Yet he allowed her softly to clasp his fingers for a few moments.
But he was a mortified youth.

At the cross-road they stopped--Miss Stokes should turn off. She had
another mile to go.

'You'll let us see you home,' said Albert.