“Haven’t I been devoted to you long enough for you to expect it? My mother and sisters would be delighted if I could tell them you had accepted me.”
Alison gave her head a little toss. “I don’t purpose marrying any man’s sisters and mother. No, I will not marry you.”
“Why not, Alison?”
“One reason is because you are not in love with me, and another is because I am not in love with you. I think those two reasons are quite sufficient for the occasion.”
“Why do you say I am not in love with you? I protest——”
“No, don’t protest,” Alison raised her hand. “I think for a little while you thought you cared, but you are bravely over it, and I am very glad of it. When a man begins to tell a girl how pleased his mother and sisters will be before he has said a word of his own feelings, it is quite evident that he is not as much in love as he would have it believed he is. We have been good friends and we will continue so to the end of the chapter. I am devoted to your mother and the girls, and I know exactly how they feel towards me, for they have told me so. I know, too, that my sister and yours have hashed up some sort of scheme by which they think our future is to be arranged; but we are not puppets to be pulled by a string and I shall marry a man of my own selection if it happens to be Bud Haley or a Mexican greaser.”
“You wouldn’t marry a greaser, Alison; you couldn’t.”
“Why not? I would if I loved him.”
“Could you love one?”
“I don’t know. Like the boy who was asked if he could play the violin I can answer, ‘I don’t know; I never tried.’ Some of those Mexicans are very handsome. If Lolita had a brother as fascinating as she is, I am sure I could not resist him.”