“Why not? It is true—do or say what you please. You are first in the world to me.”
“I will not hear you. I will not.”
“Then I won’t say it again. But it will always be so. I just want you to feel that and to know it’s in that spirit I wish to talk over things with you. That’s all.”
That she was deeply moved she could not hide from me. She stood with lowered head, her bosom heaving, her lips trembling as she bit them, and her fingers interlocked, until with a deep sigh she appeared to come to a decision, when she lifted her face and answered steadily—
“I do not pretend not to understand you; but I cannot and will not accept your help. You must go away.”
“I will not take that answer, and I will not leave you.”
I spoke as I felt, quite resolved on that point.
The answer pleased her, and the hardness of her face relaxed.
“You are very obstinate,” she said, and her eyes were almost smiling; certainly the light in them was soft.
“It doesn’t matter what we call it. It is the thing that matters. Tell me frankly why you try to refuse my help.”