What in the world was she to say to the man?
She knew him not one bit better than she had done when she saw him last.

He puzzled her more than ever.

He did not look like a despairing lover, but a singularly plump and prosperous gentleman; and certainly the silver-grey frock-coat, and gold eye-glass, and varnished shoes struck her as singularly out of harmony with the extraordinary speech he had just delivered.

Yet it was evidently impromptu, and possibly would never have been delivered at all had not she herself so blunderingly led up to it.

And it was not a bad speech in its way.