“I did it a-purpose,” said she. His face lit up with tender triumph. It was as though some timid creature of the woods had been coaxed within reach of a friendly hand; its shyness was vanishing, but dared he as yet take hold? He asked himself this question many times during their subsequent meetings; the girl would prattle to him confidently enough, and seemed interested in all his doings, past and present, but an impenetrable reserve took possession of her whenever he tried to speak about herself, and once when he offered to accompany her home, she curtly refused. “Folks ’ud get talkin’,” she said. Midway in September, Robert thought it time to put matters on a more business-like footing. With every day that passed he had fallen more deeply in love, and it seemed to him only right that their intercourse should be recognised as courtship proper--the necessary preliminary to matrimony. He approached the trysting-place with a serious face therefore, and, as was his way, came to the point at once. “We’ve been walkin’ nigh upon seven week now,” he remarked. “Do ye think ye can do wi’ me, lass?” Rebecca turned sharply towards him with that frightened look in her eyes which he had learned to accept as a warning. This time, however, he was not to be deterred from his purpose, and went on, very gently but steadily:-- “Ye took me on trial, ye know. Will I do, think you?” “Do for what?” she faltered. “For a husband, my dear. Ye’ve no need to be scared. I don’t want to hurry ye, but I think ’tis time to put the question straight. I’ve been coortin’ you reg’lar. Coom, will ye wed me?” “Oh, no,” cried Rebecca, darting suddenly away from him, “no, no, never! I don’t want to get married--I don’t--I never said I would.” Robert followed her and took her gently by the shoulders. “There! No need to be so scared, my wench. Nobody ’ull force ye--don’t think it. I did but ax--but we’ll say no more about it--not for a bit, till ye get more used to the notion. I’m content to bide as we are. There now! Give over tremblin’. I’ll not hurt ye. See, you’re as free as the birds.” He removed his hands from her shoulders and smiled: this woodland thing was only half-tamed after all; he must be patient with it still, but he dreamed of the time when it would come at his call and nestle in his breast.