There was surprise and strong interest in the girl's expression and Edgar saw that he had made a telling admission. However, he did not regret it.
"No," he said; "that's not the case, either. The farm is still Mrs.
Marston's."
"Ah! There's something I don't understand."
Edgar was sorry for her, and he felt that she was entitled to an explanation. Indeed, since George was strangely unobservant, he thought it should have been made earlier; but the matter had appeared too delicate for him to meddle with. Now, however, when the girl's nature was strongly stirred, there was a risk that, supposing his comrade was discovered wounded or was rescued in some dramatic way, she might be driven to a betrayal of her feelings that would seriously embarrass George and afterward cause her distress.
"George," he explained, "is merely carrying on the farm as Mrs.
Marston's trustee."
"But that hardly accounts for his keen eagerness to make his farming profitable. It strikes one as springing from something stronger than his duty as trustee."
Edgar nodded.
"Well, you see, he is in love with her!"
Flora sat quite still for a moment or two, and then laughed—a little bitter laugh; she was overstrained and could not repress it. A flood of hot color surged into her face, but in another moment she had recovered some degree of composure.
"So that is why he came out?" she said.