'Tell me!'
'Marry me. It is simple enough! Why should you suffer?'
Her laughter was musical and sunny, but there was a little irony in its readiness to follow the words.
'You know that we have often spoken of that,' he answered, being taken unawares. 'There are difficulties.'
'So you always say. But then it would be wiser of you not to love me any more, but to marry where you do not find those difficulties. Surely it should be easy!'
She spoke now with a little scorn, while watching him; and as she saw the vulture-like droop of his eyelids she knew that she had touched him, though she could not quite tell how. She had never spoken so frankly to him before.
'Not so easy as you think,' he replied, with a rather artificial laugh.
'Then you have tried?' she asked. 'I had thought so! And you have failed? My condolences!'
'I? Tried to marry?' he cried, realising how far she was leading him. 'What are you making me say?'