Heaven help me! Yes, it was so; I did love him. My face grew burning hot; I beat my foot upon the carpet.
"I did the best that could be done: at least I strove to do it. It was my intention to lay before you the unhappy case without disguise, its whole facts and deterrent circumstances, and then to say—'Now marry me or reject me?'"
"How can you so speak to me, sir? Marry me! with—with—that barrier?"
"But that barrier may be removed."
Oh! I saw now, or fancied I saw, the far-off thought he was driving at. Staying seemed to make matters worse; and I got up from my seat to leave him.
"Your turning out to be who you are of course made the difficulty greater. I said so last night——"
"No, it does not," I interrupted, with an impassioned sob, partly of love, partly of anger. "Whether I am regarded as a poor strange governess, or the daughter of Colonel Hereford, there could never, never be any excuse for you."
"Is that your final, calm opinion?" he asked, standing before me to ask the question.
"It is, Mr. Chandos. It will never change. You ought to despise me if it could."
"Forgive, forgive me, Miss Hereford! Nothing remains for me now but to ask it."