“You would make any sacrifice for your work, but you wouldn’t sacrifice your work for me, would you, Eris?”
Her head only pressed his shoulder closer.
He said: “You’ve starved for your work, gone almost in rags, slept in public parks——”
“I’d do these for you.... I’ll give you anything, do anything for you—except——”
“Except give up your work,” he ended drily.
“I couldn’t love you if you made me do that,” she whispered.
“If I made you do it? Do you admit I could make you give it up?” he demanded almost arrogantly.
She shrugged slightly: then raised her head and looked dumbly into his hard eyes.
There are dumb creatures that let themselves be slain without resistance; but in their doomed eyes is something that the slayer never, never can forget.
And, as Annan looked at this girl, something of his masculine egotism and arrogance became troubled.