She faltered, and her tongue became silent as her heart sank.
‘It simply means,’ pursued Jasper, seating himself and crossing his legs, ‘that I must move heaven and earth to improve my position. You know that my faith in myself is not small; there’s no knowing what I might do if I used every effort. But, upon my word, I don’t see much hope of our being able to marry for a year or two under the most favourable circumstances.’
‘No; I quite understand that.’
‘Can you promise to keep a little love for me all that time?’ he asked with a constrained smile.
‘You know me too well to fear.’
‘I thought you seemed a little doubtful.’
His tone was not altogether that which makes banter pleasant between lovers. Marian looked at him fearfully. Was it possible for him in truth so to misunderstand her? He had never satisfied her heart’s desire of infinite love; she never spoke with him but she was oppressed with the suspicion that his love was not as great as hers, and, worse still, that he did not wholly comprehend the self-surrender which she strove to make plain in every word.
‘You don’t say that seriously, Jasper?’
‘But answer seriously.’
‘How can you doubt that I would wait faithfully for you for years if it were necessary?’