That Flora de Barral should ever, in any aspect, have the power to evoke a smile was the very last thing I should have believed.

She went on after a slight hesitation: "One day I started for there, for that place." Look at the influence of a mere play of physiognomy! If you remember what we were talking about you will hardly believe that I caught myself grinning down at that demure little girl.

I must say too that I felt more friendly to her at the moment than ever before.
"Oh, you did?
To take that jump?
You are a determined young person.
Well, what happened that time ?" An almost imperceptible alteration in her bearing; a slight droop of her head perhaps--a mere nothing--made her look more demure than ever.
"I had left the cottage," she began a little hurriedly.

"I was walking along the road--you know, _the_ road.

I had made up my mind I was not coming back this time." I won't deny that these words spoken from under the brim of her hat (oh yes, certainly, her head was down--she had put it down) gave me a thrill; for indeed I had never doubted her sincerity.