She did not refuse her hand, but when he showed a wish to retain it a
moment longer than mere formality required, she made it smaller, so
that it slipped away from him, with again that same alarmed look which
always followed his attempts in this direction. He saw that she was not
yet out of the elusive mood; not yet to be treated presumingly; and he
was correspondingly careful to tranquillize her.

His assertion had seemed to impress her somewhat. "I had no idea you
came so often," she said. "How far do you come from?"

"From Exbury. I always walk from Sherton-Abbas, for if I hire, people
will know that I come; and my success with you so far has not been
great enough to justify such overtness. Now, my dear one--as I MUST
call you--I put it to you: will you see me a little oftener as the
spring advances?"

Grace lapsed into unwonted sedateness, and avoiding the question, said,
"I wish you would concentrate on your profession, and give up those
strange studies that used to distract you so much. I am sure you would
get on."

"It is the very thing I am doing. I was going to ask you to burn--or,
at least, get rid of--all my philosophical literature. It is in the
bookcases in your rooms. The fact is, I never cared much for abstruse
studies."