But I returned in an antagonistic frame of mind, a little out of patience with her and her beauty, and wondering why Nature always blunders somewhere! 'However, on the way home she had another and a pleasanter surprise for me.

A carriage was waiting for us on the main road, and we strolled towards it through the gorse and the trees and the rich level evening lights.

I dropped behind for some primroses still lingering in bloom beside a little brook; she stayed too, and we were together, out of ear-shot of the rest.
'"Mr.Kendal," she said, looking straight at me, as I handed the flowers to her, "you may have misunderstood something just now.

I don't want to pretend to what I haven't got.

I don't know French, and I can't read French novels if I wished to ever so much." 'What was I to say?
She stood looking at me seriously, a little proudly, having eased her conscience, as it seemed to me, at some cost to herself.
I felt at first inclined to turn the thing off with a jest, but suddenly I thought to myself that I too would speak my mind.
'"Well," I said deliberately, walking on beside her; "you lose a good deal.