"I must and will. You made a promise, as though you had a right at such a moment to dispose of all your life—I do not speak of mine—as though you could know what the world held for you, and could renounce it all beforehand. I tell you you had no right to make such an oath, and a vow taken without the right to take it is no vow at all—"
"It is—it is! I cannot break it!"
"If you love me you will. But you say we are to forget. Forget! It is so easy to say. How shall we do it?"
"I will go away—"
"If you have the heart to go away, then go. But I will follow you. The world is very small, they say—it will not be hard for me to find you, wherever you are."
"If I beg you—if I ask it as the only kindness, the only act of friendship, the only proof of your love—you will not come—you will not do that—"
"I will, if it costs your soul and mine."
"Orsino! You do not mean it—you see how unhappy I am, how I am trying to do right, how hard it is!"
"I see that you are trying to ruin both our lives. I will not let you. Besides, you do not mean it."
Maria Consuelo looked into his eyes and her own grew deep and dark. Then as though she felt herself yielding, she turned away and sat down in a chair that stood apart from the rest. Orsino followed her, and tried to take her hand, bending down to meet her downcast glance.