She gave him her hand mechanically, and walked on with her looks averted.

Her distress was so unconcealed that it pained him acutely.

He could not find words till they had walked a distance of twenty or thirty yards.

Then he said: 'I came purposely to-day, in the hope that you might by chance be here.
Do I annoy you ?' She half turned her face to him, but the effort to speak was vain.
A still longer silence followed.

Wilfrid knew at length what he had done.