"You're wonderful, Isabel, you're simply wonderful."
She smiled, and, standing up, held out her hand to him.
"How can I ever thank you for what you've done for me?" she said. "You've done me a great service. I knew I could trust you."
He took her hand and held it. She had never looked more beautiful.
"Oh, Isabel, I would do so much more for you than that. You know that I only ask to be allowed to love and serve you."
"You're so strong, Bateman," she sighed. "It gives me such a delicious feeling of confidence."
"Isabel, I adore you."
He hardly knew how the inspiration had come to him, but suddenly he clasped her in his arms, and she, all unresisting, smiled into his eyes.
"Isabel, you know I wanted to marry you the very first day I saw you," he cried passionately.
"Then why on earth didn't you ask me?" she replied.