After to-morrow . derstands French, he remarked. And then Mrs. Blair was fully faceto face with her particular guardiandevil. No? she said. She did not try to postpone the mo-ment she dreaded, for she had a strongman to deal with; and being a strongwoman at heart, she generally held outher hand to the inevitable. You have been thinking? Blakewent on. Yes. What a sad occupation thatis sometimes—like knitting or listeningto church-bells at night! Eve, let us be serious. God knows I am, she answered. 34 But modem gravity is dressed in flippancy. No feeling must go quitenaked. Dont talk like that,
After to-morrow . derstands French, he remarked. And then Mrs. Blair was fully faceto face with her particular guardiandevil. No? she said. She did not try to postpone the mo-ment she dreaded, for she had a strongman to deal with; and being a strongwoman at heart, she generally held outher hand to the inevitable. You have been thinking? Blakewent on. Yes. What a sad occupation thatis sometimes—like knitting or listeningto church-bells at night! Eve, let us be serious. God knows I am, she answered. 34 But modem gravity is dressed in flippancy. No feeling must go quitenaked. Dont talk like that, he said. Asthere is a nudity in art that may be beau-tiful, so there is a nudity in expression,in words, that may be beautiful. P^ve,I have come to hear you tell me some-thing. You know that. He glancedinto her face with an anxiety that shedid not fully understand. Then he said: Tell it me. There is—is so much to tell, shesaid. Yes, 3es. He does not understand, shethought. He thought, She does not THEY SAT DOWN BY THE TINY TABLE. Page 3? 37 And I am not good at tellingstories. Then tell me the truth. She tried to smile, but she was trem-bling. Of course. Why should I not?She hesitated, and then added, with aforced attempt at petulance: But thereis nothing so awkward as giving peoplemore than they expect. Is there? He understood her question despiteits apparent inconsequence, and hisheart quickened its beating: Give meeverything. I suppose I should be doing that ifI gave you myself, she said nervously. You know best, he answered; andfor a moment she was puzzled by notcatching the atTirmalive for which shehad angled. 38 Do you want me very, very much?she asked. So much that, as I told you ^^ester-day, I could not ask for you you understand? Yes. I could not marry a man whohad bothered me to be his wife. Onemight as well be scolded into want me, then, Hugh, and I wantyou. But Again she stopped, with sentencesfluttering, as it seemed, on the
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