"Why, darling? Why mayn't I caress my own love,—my promised wife?"
"Oh, no,—I'm not! I can never be your wife! I'm—I'm not worthy!"
"Hush!" and Van Reypen closed her lips with a tender kiss. "Hush, Azalea, never use the words worthy or unworthy between us. Our love makes us worthy of each other, whatever we may be otherwise."
"Stop,—please stop! Every word you say makes it harder! I can't stand it! It's too dreadful. Let me go,—oh, please, let me go!"
Shuddering as with some great fear, Azalea slipped from his arms and ran away. He heard her steps as she went upstairs, and heard a door close,—evidently she had flown to her own room.
Greatly perplexed, Phil went in search of Patty.
"Help me out," he said, in a low tone. "Azalea has gone to her room, and there is certainly something troubling her. Go to her, Patty,—find out what it all means,—and if it is any foolishness about 'unworthiness' or that rubbish, try to make her see that I want her just as she is. I don't care a hang about her ancestors or her father or anything in the whole world, but just Azalea Thorpe!"
Patty looked at his earnest face, and honestly rejoiced that he had found a girl he could care for like that.
"I'll go, Phil," she said, "and I'll bring that young woman to reason! It isn't only coyness,—that isn't Azalea's way,—but she is honestly troubled about something."
But though Patty knocked on Azalea's locked door several times, she heard no response.