However, I did at last mean an honourable engagement, as you call it, come to that.' 'But you never said so, and an indefinite courtship soon injures a woman's position and credit, sooner than you think.' 'Baptista, I solemnly declare that in six months I should have asked you to marry me.' She walked along in silence, looking on the ground, and appearing very uncomfortable.

Presently he said, 'Would you have waited for me if you had known ?' To this she whispered in a sorrowful whisper, 'Yes!' They went still farther in silence--passing along one of the beautiful walks on the outskirts of the town, yet not observant of scene or situation.

Her shoulder and his were close together, and he clasped his fingers round the small of her arm--quite lightly, and without any attempt at impetus; yet the act seemed to say, 'Now I hold you, and my will must be yours.' Recurring to a previous question of hers he said, 'I have merely run down here for a day or two from school near Trufal, before going off to the north for the rest of my holiday.

I have seen my relations at Redrutin quite lately, so I am not going there this time.

How little I thought of meeting you! How very different the circumstances would have been if, instead of parting again as we must in half-an-hour or so, possibly for ever, you had been now just going off with me, as my wife, on our honeymoon trip.