Part 10 (1/2)

John Stone looked at her for a moment in amazement, while his cheeks flamed. Then he rose to his feet and stood before her.

”Did you suppose that I wanted to marry you for your money?” he said, making an obvious effort for self-control.

”Yes,” she answered, lowering her eyes. ”And that is why I was going to accept you.”

She felt that the man was still staring at her, wholly unable to understand.

”I am poor, very poor,” she went on, hurriedly. ”I don't know how I am going to live next month. I believed that you thought I was wealthy. It seemed to me a mean thing for a man to do, to marry a woman for her money, so I didn't mind deceiving you.”

He stood silently gazing at her for a minute, and she could not but think that a man was very slow to understand.

Then he sat down again, and took her hand once more, and petted it.

”You must have been sadly tried if you were willing to do a thing like that,” he said, with infinite pity in his voice. ”You poor child!”

It was her turn then to be astonished, but she was swifter of comprehension.

”Do you mean to say that you still want to marry me,” she asked, looking him full in the face, ”even after I have insulted you?”

”Yes,” he answered. ”I want to marry you--and more than ever now, so that you may never again be exposed to a temptation like this.”

”But now I refuse to marry you,” she returned, forcibly, as she withdrew her hand. ”I say 'no' now--without hesitation this time.”

”Why?” he asked.

”Because it isn't fair now,” she responded.

”Fair?” he repeated, puzzled.

”I couldn't do it now; it would be too mean for anything,” she explained. ”As long as I supposed you thought I was rich and were going to marry me for my money, I didn't mind cheating you. I could let you marry me even if I didn't love you, and it would only be serving you right. But now!--now I couldn't! It wouldn't be fair to you. I am pretty mean, I confess, but I'm not mean enough for that, I hope.”

Again he took a moment to think before he spoke.

”I don't know what to make of you,” he began. ”Am I to understand that you were going to marry me, though you did not love me, so long as you thought I did not love you, but that now, when you know that I really do love you, for that very reason you refuse to marry me?”

”That's it,” she cried. ”You must see how I feel about it. It wouldn't be fair to marry you now I know you are in earnest, would it?”

”But if I am willing,” he urged; ”if I want you as much as ever; if I feel confident that I can get you to love me a little in time; if you will only let me hope--”

”Oh, I couldn't,” she answered. ”I couldn't cheat you now I really know you--now that I like you a great deal better than I did.”

He was about to protest again, when she interrupted him.

”Don't let's talk about it any more,” she said, impetuously; ”it has given me a headache already.”

Forbidden to speak upon the one subject about which he had something to say, the man said nothing, and for a minute or more there was silence.

They could hear the patter of the rain as it pelted against the window near which they were sitting. Then there was a slight flash of lightning, followed by a distant growl of thunder.

A s.h.i.+ver ran through Mrs. Randolph, and she gave a little nervous laugh.