Austen looked quizzically into her upturned face, and she dropped her eyes.
"That's exactly what I should have asked myself,—after a while," he said.
She laughed with a delicious understanding of "after a while."
"I suppose you think me frightfully forward," she said, in a lowered voice, "inviting myself to drive and asking you such a question when I scarcely know you. But I just couldn't go on with Mrs. Pomfret,—she irritated me so,—and my front teeth are too valuable to drive with Humphrey Crewe."
Austen smiled, and secretly agreed with her.
"I should have offered, if I had dared," he said.
"Dared! I didn't know that was your failing. I don't believe you even thought of it."
"Nevertheless, the idea occurred to me, and terrified me," said Austen.
"Why?" she asked, turning upon him suddenly. "Why did it terrify you?"
"I should have been presuming upon an accidental acquaintance, which I had no means of knowing you wished to continue," he replied, staring at his horse's head.