“You have only to lose by it, that is obvious, and I to gain, and nothing could equal the indecency of insistence on my part; but I feel that I am going to persist to the point of persecution. You are fond of me, you know. I only dare to say you are fond of me because you have said it yourself more than once. And you are always sincere, and I wouldn’t be likely to forget. Now, if you are fond of me,–very, very fond, you have said repeatedly,–why do you refuse? I wouldn’t be a bore of a husband, I promise. I would leave you a great deal of liberty.”
“No, Geraldino; no.”
“You needn’t tell me there’s somebody else. I don’t believe it. Though you feel only fondness for me, I know that you are not in love with anybody else. When one is in love, there is no room in life for such warm and dear 399friendship as you have frankly shown me. It’s that, after all, which has given me courage.”
“No, no; there’s nobody else.”
“Well, then, why can’t you? Why won’t you?”
“I–” She hesitated, as if to think. There was a silence. Then she asked slowly, like one who finds some difficulty in laying her tongue on the right words: “Do you remember all those things you said that evening in the garden, the night you came in to meet Tom for the first time? How you wouldn’t for anything in the whole world let yourself get tangled up again with caring for a person?”
“Perfectly. I could only picture it as meaning more of trouble and unrest. But things change, dear. We change. There has taken place in me since that, no matter for what reason, an increase of self-confidence and confidence in fate such as turns men into nuisances or makes them successful. In the last twenty-four hours particularly. Now, as I look at the inconvenience of getting tangled up again with caring for a person, I find I don’t mean at all to suffer. I mean to bother you until you say yes, and then to be happy. You could never wilfully torment me, I know; you are incapable of it. Then, when you have graciously consented to marry me, I feel as if I might build up my life on new lines.”
“I can’t, Geraldino; I can’t.”
“You can’t. So you have said. And I have asked you to tell me your reasons, that I may combat them one by one.”
“It’s no use. We’re too different.”