He fell upon his knee and bowed to kiss her fair hand.

Despite the sobriety of his years, he was as eager and tender as a boy.
"Be gracious to me, madam," he implored.

"I am not young enough to wait.
Too many months have been thrown away." "You need wait no longer, my lord," she said--"not one single hour." And while he, poor gentleman, knelt, kissing her hand with adoring humbleness, she, under the splendour of her crown of roses, gazed down at his grey-sprinkled head with her great steady shining orbs, as if gazing at some almost uncomprehended piteous wonder.
In less than an hour the whole assemblage knew of the event and talked of it.

Young men looked daggers at Dunstanwolde and at each other; and older men wore glum or envious faces.

Women told each other 'twas as they had known it would be, or 'twas a wonder that at last it had come about.