noon
`` Sweet child ! '' thought Willan to himself , `` she doth not know the speech of lovers . I mistrust that if I wooed her outright , she would be afraid . '' It was long past noon when they reached the Golden Pear . Dinner had waited till the hungry Victor and Jeanne could wait no longer ; but a very pretty and dainty little repast was ready for Willan and Victorine . As she sat opposite him at the table , so bright and beaming , her whole face full of pleasure , Willan leaned both his arms on the table and looked at her in silence for some minutes . `` Victorine ! ''