Shall we shake hands on it ?" He held out his hand with the smile which few men, and still fewer women, could resist; and she tried to smile in response; but as his strong hand closed over her small one, a faint look of doubt, almost of trouble, was palpable in her violet eyes and on her lips.

She drew her hand away--and it had to be drawn, for he released it only slowly and reluctantly--and without a word she left the shed.
Stafford watched her as she went lightly and quickly up the road towards the Hall, Bess and Donald leaping round her; then, with a sharp feeling of elation, a feeling that was as novel as it was confusing, he sprang on his horse, and putting him to a gallop, rode for home, with one thought standing clearly out: that before many hours--the next morning--he should see her again.
Once he shifted his whip to his left hand, and stretching out his right hand, looked at it curiously: it seemed to be still thrilling with the contact of her small, warm palm.
As he came up to The Woodman Inn he remembered, what he had forgotten in the morning, that he had left his cigar-case on the dining-room mantel-shelf.

He pulled up, and giving Adonis to the hostler, who rushed forward promptly, he went into the inn.

There was no one in the hall, and knowing that he should be late for luncheon, he opened the dining-room door and walked in, and straight up to the fireplace.
The cigar-case was where he had left it, and he turned to go out.

Then he saw that he was not the only occupant of the room, for a lady was sitting in the broad bay-window.