Cool and firm her fingers. His hand is unresponsive, but rather jolly to feel them come wriggling into it and then twine about it. She settles them to her liking, and this is enlocked about his own, her palm to his. Yes, rather jolly to feel them thus: they give him a curious thrill, a desire.
II
Essie's seat was found to be quite the not half quiet little place that she had promised. It stood at the termination of the winding path, backed by a high rockery of ferns and looking down upon the lights and the bandstand whence came the music very pleasantly through the distance.
Here were influences that touched anew the curious thrill her fingers had given Mr. Wriford. The warm, still night, the feeling of remoteness here, the music floating up, Essie very close beside him, her face clear to his eyes in this soft glow of summer darkness. A very long time since to Mr. Wriford there had been such playfulness of spirit as stirred within him now. Soft she was where she touched him, sensibly warm against his arm, enticingly fragrant.
"Told you this would be jolly, didn't I?" said Essie.
"Yes, it is," agreed Mr. Wriford, and put his arm along the seat behind her shoulders.
Essie didn't seem to mind.
And then his hand upon the shoulder further from him.
Nor to mind that.
"All right, I call it," said Essie. "You know, if you came out more to the band and places like this, you soon wouldn't be so quiet."