But Eponine was already pulling away, and hugging her hand close.

"I'm - I'm sorry, Monsieur. I ought not - It was forward - wrong! I'm sorry."

She kept her eyes lowered, and dropped back, so that she was following a few feet behind Perry. How could she have been so presumptuous? Eponine mentally berated herself. Of course a gentleman would not wish to hold hands with a woman such as her. What on earth had she been thinking?