The latter's eyes widened charmingly and she broke into a light laugh.
"But I have no engagement with Mr.Selden! My engagement was to go to church; and I'm afraid the omnibus has started without me.

HAS it started, do you know ?" She turned to Selden, who replied that he had heard it drive away some time since.
"Ah, then I shall have to walk; I promised Hilda and Muriel to go to church with them.

It's too late to walk there, you say?
Well, I shall have the credit of trying, at any rate--and the advantage of escaping part of the service.

I'm not so sorry for myself, after all!" And with a bright nod to the couple on whom she had intruded, Miss Bart strolled through the glass doors and carried her rustling grace down the long perspective of the garden walk.
She was taking her way churchward, but at no very quick pace; a fact not lost on one of her observers, who stood in the doorway looking after her with an air of puzzled amusement.

The truth is that she was conscious of a somewhat keen shock of disappointment.