Her heart shook her voice as she responded.
"Is it permitted ?" said Majendie.
"If you like," she answered quietly.
He presented his customary morning sacrifice of flowers.

Hitherto he had not presumed so far as to bring it to her room.

It waited for her decorously at breakfast time, beside her plate.
She took the flowers from him, acknowledged their fragrance by a quiver of her delicate nostrils, thanked him, and laid them on the dressing-table.
He seated himself on the window-sill, where he could see her with the day upon her.

She noticed that he had brought with him, beside the flowers, a small oblong wooden box.

He laid the box on his knee and covered it with his hand.