“Hush! You don’t know what you are saying. It isn’t abnormal to wish to dedicate——”
She stopped.
“What?” he said.
“Don’t let us talk of these things. But you must not judge any woman without knowing what is in her heart. Even your own mother, with whom you have lived alone ever since your father’s death—do you know very much of her? We can’t always show ourselves plainly as we are. It may not be our fault.”
“You will marry. You must marry.”
“Why—must?”
He gazed at her. As she met his eyes she reddened slightly, understanding his thought, that such a woman as she was ought not to avoid the great vocation of woman. But there was another vocation, and perhaps it was hers. She felt confused. Two desires were struggling within her. It was as if her nature contained two necessities which were wholly irreconcilable the one with the other.
“You can’t tell me?” he said, at last.
“Not now.”
“Then I am going, and I shall never ask you again. But I shall never be able to love any one but you.”