Page 232 - of-human-bondage-

She smiled and gave him a long look with her black eyes.
After supper he insisted that she should come out.
‘Haven’t you had enough exercise for one day?’
‘It’ll be lovely in the garden tonight. The stars are all out.’
He was in high spirits.
‘D’you know, Mrs. Carey has been scolding me on your
account?’ said Miss Wilkinson, when they were sauntering
through the kitchen garden. ‘She says I mustn’t flirt with
you.’
‘Have you been flirting with me? I hadn’t noticed it.’
‘She was only joking.’
‘It was very unkind of you to refuse to kiss me last night.’
‘If you saw the look your uncle gave me when I said what
I did!’
‘Was that all that prevented you?’
‘I prefer to kiss people without witnesses.’
‘There are no witnesses now.’
Philip put his arm round her waist and kissed her lips.
She only laughed a little and made no attempt to withdraw.
It had come quite naturally. Philip was very proud of him-
self. He said he would, and he had. It was the easiest thing in
the world. He wished he had done it before. He did it again.
‘Oh, you mustn’t,’ she said.
‘Why not?’
‘Because I like it,’ she laughed.

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