“What news?”
“Something rather disconcerting has happened to me,” he said slowly, “but I’ll tell you that presently. The most important thing now is that I want to get married.” 334
All the cold waters of the world closed over her head for a moment. It was as if he had wrenched a plank from one drowning. She answered him, however, in a low, mechanical voice:
“Soon, Christopher?”
“That will be for her to say, if she will have me at all.”
“You have not asked her yet?”
“I am asking her.”
She looked up at him, puzzled and incredulous of the apparent meaning. Then suddenly he was on his knees by her side, with his strong arms round her.
“My dear, my dear, surely you must know. Is there need for any words between us? I’ve known so long all you must mean to me. Listen, Patricia, you will have to forgive me a great thing. I’ve let outside considerations, absurd ambitions, and the shadow of a lie, stand between us. I’ve waited when I should have spoken. You will forgive me that, my dear one, will you not? I’m not humble a bit in asking. I am so proud of the one great thing, that I can give you, Love,—can hold you and wrap you in it, so that nothing can hurt you any more. You understand, you recognise my right, Patricia?”
She could say nothing, understand nothing, but the great peace of perfect security. She let him hold her still, with her head against his shoulder and his dear face near, so near she seemed to lose sense of her own identity. All the answer to her life’s riddle lay there, behind the love that emptied her soul of need. Out of the blissful unspeakable light some words vibrated into new meaning.