ight
ramble. 'My father went off to Dullingham with the key in his pocket
while I and Snap were in the garden, so we have to wait till his
return. Good-night, sir,' and she gave me her hand. I seemed to feel
the fingers around my heart, and knew that I was turning very pale.
'The same little sunburnt fingers.' I said, as I retained them in
mine 'just the same, Winifred! But it's not "good-night" yet. No, no,
it's not good-night yet; and, Winifred if you dare to call me "sir"
again, I declare I'll kiss you where you stand. I will, Winifred.
I'll put my arms right round that slender waist and kiss you under
that moon, as sure as you stand on these sands.'

'Then I will not call you "sir."' said Winifred laughingly.
'Certainly I will not call you "sir," if that is to be the penalty.'

'Winifred,' said I, 'the last time that I remember to have heard you
say "certainly" was on this very spot. You then pronounced it
"certumly," and that was when I asked you if I might be your lover.
You said "certumly" on that occasion without the least hesitation.'

Winifred, as I could see, even by the moonlight, was blushing. 'Ah,
those childish days!' she said. 'How delightful they were, sir!'

'"Sir" again!' said I. 'Now, Winifred, I am going to execute my
threat--I am indeed.'

She put up her hands before her face and said,

'Oh, don't! please don't.'

The action no doubt might seem coquettish, but the tone of her voice
was so genuine, so serious--so agitated even--that I paused:--I
paused in bewilderment and perplexity concerning us both. I observed
that her fingers shook as she held them before her face. That she
should be agitated at seeing me after so long a separation did not
surprise me, I being deeply agitated myself. It was the _nature_ of
her emotion that puzzled me, until suddenly I remembered my mother's
words.

I perceived then that, child of Nature as she still was, some one had
given her a careful training which had transfigured my little Welsh
rustic into a lady. She had not failed to apprehend the anomaly of
her present position--on the moonlit sands with me. Though could not
break free from the old equal relations between us. Winifred had been
able to do so.

'To her,' I thought with shame, 'my offering to kiss her at such a
place and time must have seemed an insult. The very fact of my
attempting to do so must have seemed to indicate an offensive
consciousness of the difference of our social positions. It m