The absolute difference of feeling between the man and herself; his levity against her earnestness, his callous blindness to her purpose, even the commonness of his words chilled her.

For a few seconds she wavered again in her intention; but once again his comeliness and her own obstinacy joined hands and took her back to her path.

With chagrin she felt that her words almost stuck in her throat, as summoning up all her resolution she went on: 'It would be for you I would have it built, Leonard!' The man sat up quickly.
'For me ?' he asked in a sort of wonderment.
'Yes, Leonard, for you and me!' She turned away; her blushes so overcame her that she could not look at him.

When she faced round again he was standing up, his back towards her.
She stood up also.

He was silent for a while; so long that the silence became intolerable, and she spoke: 'Leonard, I am waiting!' He turned round and said slowly, the absence of all emotion from his face chilling her till her face blanched: 'I don't think I would worry about it!' Stephen Norman was plucky, and when she was face to face with any difficulty she was all herself.