“This is worse than I suspected,” said he angrily, “for now I see that it is in the mere spirit of defiance that you rejected my demand.”
“Upon my word, Sir, I believe it will turn out that neither of us knew very much of the other.”
“You think so?”
“Yes; don’t you?”
He grew very pale, and made no answer, though he twice seemed as if about to speak.
“I declare,” cried she, and her heightened colour and flashing eye showed the temper that stirred her—“I declare I think we shall have employed all our lately displayed candour to very little advantage if it does not carry us a little further.”
“I scarcely catch your meaning,” said he, in a low voice.
“What I meant was, that by a little further effort of our frankness we might come to convey to each other that scenes like these are not pleasant, nor need they ever occur again.”
“I believe at last I apprehend you,” said he, in a broken accent. “You desire that our engagement should be broken off.”
She made no answer, but averted her head.