"What is it?"
Her voice was faint, as if she felt that unfair engines of war were being used against her.
"Your father hoped that we should marry; he knew that I loved you, and would always love you; and he thought you loved me, and would always love me; and therefore----"
"What were you going to tell me about my father?"
She perceived that he was trenching on dangerous ground, and tried to get him off it; he came off with much agility.
"I met him on the morning on which I was starting for Cairo----"
"You never told me."
"I had an idea that he didn't wish me to mention that I'd met him, so I didn't. We lunched together; he gave me a most excellent lunch----"
"I'm glad he gave you an excellent lunch."
"There, Nora! that's much more like you! thank you! It was an excellent lunch; it was after lunch he said he hoped that we should marry, because, as I have already observed, he knew that----"