His growing liberties for himself seemed natural enough, but in a sense of fairness to her he began to talk to her about what their love might involve.

Would she?
Did she understand?
This phase of it puzzled and frightened Aileen a little at first.

She stood before him one afternoon in her black riding-habit and high silk riding-hat perched jauntily on her red-gold hair; and striking her riding-skirt with her short whip, pondering doubtfully as she listened.

He had asked her whether she knew what she was doing?
Whither they were drifting?
If she loved him truly enough?
The two horses were tethered in a thicket a score of yards away from the main road and from the bank of a tumbling stream, which they had approached.

She was trying to discover if she could see them.