He took her hand and said it.

She thanked him, then suddenly dropped her fingers on his shoulder, and murmured with infinite gentleness and pride: "You will miss me; you ought to!" He drew the hand down.
"I could not forget you, Delia," he said.
Her eyes came up quickly, and she looked steadily, wonderingly at him.
"Was it necessary to say that ?" She was hurt--inexpressibly,--and she shrank.

He saw that she misunderstood him; but he also saw that, on the face of it, the phrase was not complimentary.

His reply was deeply kind, effective.

There was a pause--and the great moment for them both passed.