But Dexie was too quick for this movement, and she hotly replied: 

“And I hope you may get it!  May she be blessed with a temper hot enough to make even a Frenchman tire of dancing to the music of her tongue!” and with this retort she flew past him, and the door slammed behind her.

Hugh stood for a moment and gazed after her; then, turning on his heel, pulled the ends of his long moustache into his mouth as he muttered to himself: 

“Not so bad, my little girl!  The hot temper is there fast enough, but it won’t make me dance, unless it will be for joy at getting the owner of it.”

This happened just the day before they started on their journey, and, through the hours of that busy day, Dexie kept wondering what Hugh wished to tell her.  Should she see him and be done with it?  No; for his earnest looks and half-spoken words told all too plainly the nature of the interview.  Dexie never could explain, even to herself, why she disliked Hugh so much; but his very presence seemed to raise up all the opposition there was within her.  To a stranger, he would have seemed more attractive than Lancy Gurney.  His figure had attained to manly proportions, and his manner had a charm that was quite pleasing.  His dark, handsome face and brilliant black eyes seemed to tell of southern birth; and the heavy, upward-curling moustache added much to his attractions.  Dexie had looked upon him with favorable eyes when she first came to Halifax.  He had formed a striking contrast to Gussie’s fair beauty, but the memory of his handsome face was far from pleasant as Dexie thought of the words he had spoken to her in the hall.

Yet Hugh succeeded after all, and the five minutes he asked for thrice repeated themselves before Dexie could escape from his presence.

The back of the house, or ell, which formed the kitchen, was a story less in height than the main building, and its flat roof was often utilized by both families as a drying-ground for small articles of clothing, and Dexie had stepped out of the window that overlooked this roof to bring in some forgotten articles that hung on the line.

It had been very warm all day, and as Dexie stood a minute, enjoying the cool breeze that blew in from the harbor, her figure was distinctly outlined to observers from the rear of the house; but her presence might have escaped notice, had she not been softly whistling some little song.

Hugh had just returned from the depot, where he had taken the luggage which was to accompany the young travellers in the morning, and his heart was full of bitter feelings as he thought of his master’s son filling the place he coveted so dearly.

As he passed into the yard, Dexie’s soft whistle reached his ears.  He was too well acquainted with the sound not to recognize the source of it, and, glancing up, he saw her there in the twilight, the breeze gently lifting her wavy hair and fluttering the ribbons around her neck, as if endeavoring to attract his attention.  One glance was enough, and before Dexie knew he had returned from the depot, she was startled by his appearance beside her.