He broke off a small branch as he passed; and offered a couple thoughtlessly to Muriel.

She took them in her fingers, and tasted them gingerly.

"They're not so bad," she said, taking another from the bough.

"They're very much like gooseberries." At the same moment, Felix popped one into his own mouth, and swallowed it without thinking.
Almost before they knew what had happened, with the same extraordinary rapidity as in the case of the wedding, the people in the cottages ran out, with every sign of fear and apprehension, and, seizing the branch from Felix's hands, began upbraiding the two Shadows for their want of attention.
"We couldn't help it," Toko exclaimed, with every appearance of guilt and horror on his face.

"They were much too sharp for us.