“No, monsieur.”
“Then you don’t love me?”
“Yes, monsieur.”
“Would you prefer another to me?”
“I don’t know, monsieur.”
“Suppose you should be married to someone else, would you be sorry?”
“I don’t know, monsieur.”
“Then, why do you marry me?”
I nearly lost my patience; the woman would surely drive me mad with her gentleness. I began to be afraid that I had mistaken stupidity for innocence and awkwardness for timidity! But her hand trembled; probably she was afraid that she had angered me. I felt that I must control myself and not frighten her; that was not the way to attract her and win her confidence.