"I will not press you further," said he, "as I gather by your tone that it distresses you." "I am so sorry if I distress you, but really, Mr.Saul, I could give you--I never could give you any other answer." Then they walked on silently through the rain--silently, without a single word--for more than half a mile, till they reached the rectory gate.

Here it was necessary that they should, at any rate, speak to each other, and for the last three hundred yards Fanny had been trying to find the words which would be suitable.

But he was the first to break the silence.

"Good-night, Miss Clavering," he said, stopping and putting out his hand.
"Good-night, Mr.Saul." "I hope that there may be no difference in our bearing to each other, because of what I have to-day said to you ?" "Not on my part--that is, if you will forget it." "No, Miss Clavering; I shall not forget it.

If it had been a thing to be forgotten, I should not have spoken.