Chapter VIII.

Eric noticed a change in Una at their next meeting—a change that troubled him. She seemed aloof, abstracted, and almost ill at ease. When he proposed an excursion to the garden he thought she was reluctant to go. The days that followed convinced him of the change. Something had come between them. Una seemed miles away in spirit. He had a bad week of it but he determined to put an end to it by plain speaking. One evening in the garden he told her of his love. It was an evening in August and the garden was in its pri…