Have you tried him yet, Ford ?" The heart of Ford lifted in his chest at her tone and her words, along toward the last.

He forgot the chill of her voice in the beginning, and he dwelt greedily upon the fact that once more she had called him Ford.
But his joy died suddenly when he led his horse out and discovered that Dick and Jim Felton were coming down the path, within easy hearing of her.

Ford did not know women very well, but most men are born with a rudimentary understanding of them.

He suspected that her intimacy of tone was meant for Dick's benefit; and when they had ridden three or four miles and her share of the conversation during that time had consisted of "yes" twice, "no" three times, and one "indeed," he was sure of it.
So Ford began to wonder why she came at all--unless that, also, was meant to discipline Dick--and his own mood became a silent one.

He did not, he told himself indignantly, much relish being used as a club to beat some other man into good behavior.
They rode almost to Long Ridge before Ford discovered that Josephine was stealing glances at his face whenever she thought he was not looking, and that the glances were questioning, and might almost be called timid.
He waited until he was sure he was not mistaken, and then turned his head unexpectedly, and smiled into her startled eyes.
"What is it ?" he asked, still smiling at her.