He had made up his mind to do it on that occasion, and he did it without any signs of outward disturbance.

He asked his question, and then he waited for his answer.

In this he was rather hard upon his cousin; for, though the question had certainly been asked in language that could not be mistaken, still the matter had not been put forward with all that fullness which a young lady, under such circumstances, has a right to expect.
They had sat down on the turf close to the ha-ha, and they were so near that Bernard was able to put out his hand with the view of taking that of his cousin within his own.

But she contrived to keep her hands locked together, so that he merely held her gently by the wrist.
"I don't quite understand, Bernard," she said, after a minute's pause.
"Shall we be more than cousins?
Shall we be man and wife ?" Now, at least, she could not say that she did not understand.

If the question was ever asked plainly, Bernard Dale had asked it plainly.
Shall we be man and wife?
Few men, I fancy, dare to put it all at once in so abrupt a way, and yet I do not know that the English language affords any better terms for the question.
"Oh, Bernard! you have surprised me." "I hope I have not pained you, Bell.