I have said to-night has been in the
nature of an _intimation_.' (O-h! how like church!)

"Then he sat down on the sofa beside me, very gently, and said--

"'The intimation in brief is this. I love you; and some day, please
God, I shall ask you to marry me. But not until I feel that you would
lose nothing by doing so.'

"We both sat very still for a few minutes after that. I fancy we were
both doing a little thinking. My chief reflection was that Robin had
had rather the better of the interview, because he had made me listen
to him when I was determined not to. Suddenly Robin said--

"'Now that the business part of this conversation is over, I am going
to allow myself a luxury. I have been talking most of the time about
myself. For just five minutes I shall talk about you. I will tell you
what I think of you.'

"He looked at his watch and began. Dilly, I had no idea I had so many
good points! He put them better than any man has ever done before. But
then the other men were always so jumbled up, and this creature was as
cool and collected as if he were reading a Stores Catalogue.

"But he let himself go at last. It was my fault, though. I was in
rather a twitter by this time, for although the whole thing was simply
absurd--of course one couldn't marry a wild untamed creature like
that, _could_ one, Dilly?--I couldn't help seeing what a man he was,
and feeling sorry that things couldn't have been a bit different, if
only for his sake. So I gave him my hand" [I can see her do it] "and
said: 'Poor old Robin!'

"He _seized_ it--my child, it has waggled like a blanc-mange ever
since!--and kissed it. Then, quite suddenly, he broke out into a sort
of rhapsody-like _'The Song of Solomon,'_ only nicer--with his head
bowed over my hands. (He had got hold of the other one too, by this
time.) I felt perfectly helpless, so I let him run on. I shan't tell
you what he said, dear, because it wouldn't be cricket. Anyhow, a
perfectly idiotic tear suddenly rolled down my nose--after all, I had
had a _fearfully_ long day--and I tried to pull my hands away. Robin
let them go at once.

"'You are right. The time for such things is not yet,' he said, in a
queer Biblical sort of way. 'It was a sudden weakness on my part. I
had not meant it, you may be sure.'

"The only thing I _am_ sure about," I said, feeling thoroughly vexed
about the tear, "is that we have b