She was silent for a long time, and then she said:—
“No. Please don’t.”
His happiness vanished. It was as though a hole had opened in the floor and swallowed it up.
“Why not?” he asked. “Why not?”
She shrank into herself for a moment, but shook off her cowardice and answered:—
“I don’t want to hurt you.”
“You said you loved me. You can do what you like with me!”
“You’re so different,” she said. “Too different.”
“From what? From whom? Go on, go on!”