I am no chicken, dear, and I have knocked about the world a good deal, and had one or two love affairs like other people.

But, Bessie, I never met such a sweet woman, or, if you will let me say it, such a lovely woman as you are, and if you will have me, dear, I think that I shall be the luckiest man in South Africa;" and he stopped, not knowing exactly what else to say, and feeling that the time had not come for action, if indeed it was to come at all.
When first she understood the drift of his talk Bessie had flushed up to the eyes, then the blood sank back to her breast, and left her as pale as a lily.

She loved the man, and they were happy words to her, and she was satisfied with them, though perhaps some women might have thought that they left a good deal to be desired.

But Bessie was not of an exacting nature.
At last she spoke.
"Are you sure," she asked, "that you mean all this?
You know sometimes people say things of a sudden, upon an impulse, and afterwards they wish they never had been said.

Then it would be rather awkward supposing I were to say 'yes,' would it not ?" "Of course I am sure," he said indignantly.
"You see," went on Bessie, poking at the sod wall with the stick she held in her hand, "perhaps in this place you might be putting an exaggerated value on me.