"Then"—
"No, stop! You don't understand me. I did not say that I wanted to marry you and"—
"You mean that you—don't care enough, is that it?"
"N-no. I can't say that, exactly."
"What then?" he asked, eagerly; but Lynn was silent, staring at the lights of the distant city.
"Lynn!—what in God's name do you mean? Think! Think of what you have said. In one breath you almost allow that you care for me; and, in the next, you say, practically, that you can't marry me. What does it all mean?"
"I can't tell you."
"You must. Try."
"I know that I must sound ridiculous and unreasonable to you, but the fact remains. I do love you; I can't bear to let you go away without telling you so. But for reasons which—which I can't explain—I don't think that I can marry you."
"But, Lynn, what in the world can you mean? You have no ties! nothing that can bind you down or prevent you from doing as you please. What do you mean?"