She then bid me good-evening and withdrew.
I had not proceeded many steps on my way homewards when I perceived Mr.
Lawrence, on his pretty grey pony, coming up the rugged lane that crossed over the hill-top.

I went a little out of my way to speak to him; for we had not met for some time.
'Was that Mrs.Graham you were speaking to just now ?' said he, after the first few words of greeting had passed between us.
'Yes.' 'Humph! I thought so.' He looked contemplatively at his horse's mane, as if he had some serious cause of dissatisfaction with it, or something else.
'Well! what then ?' 'Oh, nothing!' replied he.

'Only I thought you disliked her,' he quietly added, curling his classic lip with a slightly sarcastic smile.
'Suppose I did; mayn't a man change his mind on further acquaintance ?' 'Yes, of course,' returned he, nicely reducing an entanglement in the pony's redundant hoary mane.

Then suddenly turning to me, and fixing his shy, hazel eyes upon me with a steady penetrating gaze, he added, 'Then you have changed your mind ?' 'I can't say that I have exactly.

No; I think I hold the same opinion respecting her as before--but slightly ameliorated.' 'Oh!' He looked round for something else to talk about; and glancing up at the moon, made some remark upon the beauty of the evening, which I did not answer, as being irrelevant to the subject.
'Lawrence,' said I, calmly looking him in the face, 'are you in love with Mrs.Graham ?' Instead of his being deeply offended at this, as I more than half expected he would, the first start of surprise, at the audacious question, was followed by a tittering laugh, as if he was highly amused at the idea.
'I in love with her!' repeated he.