He broke off and she seemed really moved. She put her hand on his two, which were knotted together; and then she looked love into his straining eyes and nodded.
His hands opened and seized hers and squeezed them till she drew in her breath. Then he put his arms round her and kissed her.
"Don't move, for God's sake!" he said. "D'you know what you've done?"
"Given myself to a dear good chap," she answered.
In her heart she was thanking heaven that she had not worn the new muslin dress.
"Weather or no weather, he'd have creased it and mangled it all over and ruined it for ever," she thought.
They proceeded presently, but made no haste to overtake their companions. Their talk was of the future and marriage. He pressed for an early union; she was in no hurry.
"You must learn a bit more about me first," she told him. "Maybe I'm not half as nice as you think. And there's your father. I'm terrible frightened of him."
"You need not be, Cora. He's not against early marriage. You must come and see him pretty soon. He'll be right glad for my sake, though he'll be sure to tell me I've had better luck than I deserve."
She considered awhile without speaking.