She must say SOMETHING ; she lifted her bowed golden head and asked him stammeringly to give her a few days for -- for consideration . John Meredith was a little surprised . He was not vainer than any man has a right to be , but he had expected that Rosemary West would say yes . He had been tolerably sure she cared for him . Then why this doubt -- this hesitation ? She was not a school girl to be uncertain as to her own mind . He felt an ugly shock of disappointment and dismay . But he assented to her request with his unfailing gentle courtesy and went away at once . `` I will tell you in a few days , '' said Rosemary , with downcast eyes and burning face . When the door shut behind him she went back into the room and wrung her hands . CHAPTER XXII . ST. GEORGE KNOWS ALL ABOUT IT At midnight Ellen West was walking home from the Pollock silver wedding . She had stayed a little while after the other guests had gone , to help the gray-haired bride wash the dishes . The distance between the two houses was not far and the road good , so that Ellen was enjoying the walk back home in the moonlight . The evening had been a pleasant one . Ellen , who had not been to a party for years , found it very pleasant . All the guests had been members of her old set and there was no intrusive youth to spoil the flavour , for the only son of the bride and groom was far away at college and could not be present . Norman Douglas had been there and they had met socially for the first time in years , though she had seen him once or twice in church that winter . Not the least sentiment was awakened in Ellen 's heart by their meeting . She was accustomed to wonder , when she thought about it at all , how she could ever have fancied him or felt so badly over his sudden marriage .
But she had rather liked XXXXX him again .
bride college face guests hesitation meeting moonlight road room sentiment