Yet, gay, and debonnair, and happy as he looked, I pitied him a little, going past to find Rachel.

A little, not a great deal, for I judged him (wrongly, as it afterwards proved) to be one who would love lightly, and be easily consoled by a world whose darling he must be.
I saw their meeting, and John's aerial palace crumbled away into dust.
There was no mistaking Rachel's face, the glow that transfigured it when she turned by chance and saw the figure advancing towards her.

She sprang to meet him with hands extended, gown tucked aside as it was, and visibly flying feet; and he, striding on, opened his arms to receive her, and folded them reverently about her, like a true knight embracing his bride.
"And what about John ?" I said angrily, as I watched the two walking up and down between the roses, talking as eagerly and joyously as if they had just received a charter for perpetual happiness.
That was a dull evening for some of us at the Hall.

Rachel and her betrothed sat apart and talked.

Grace played chess with Mr.Hill, and, to escape from Captain Tyrrell, I kept close to Mrs.Hill.
"I am quite in a dilemma, my dear," she whispered to me.