Part 29 (2/2)
”I never supposed you had.”
”Well, what then?”
”I repeat, such attentions as yours must naturally be supposed by any innocent girl to mean marriage.”
”Bah! she is not such a fool!”
”I fear she is fool enough not to know to what they must then point!”
”They point to nothing.”
”Then you take advantage of her innocence to amuse yourself with her.”
”What if she be not quite so innocent as you would have her.”
”My lord, you are a scoundrel.”
For one moment Forgue seemed to wrestle with an all but uncontrollable fury; the next he laughed--but it was not a nice laugh.
”Come now,” he said, ”I'm glad I've put you in a rage! I've got over mine. I'll tell you the whole truth: there is nothing between me and the girl--nothing whatever, I give you my word, except an innocent flirtation. Ask herself.”
”My lord,” said Donal, ”I believe what you mean me to understand. I thought nothing worse of it myself.”
”Then why the devil kick up such an infernal s.h.i.+ndy about it?”
”For these reasons, my lord:--”
”Oh, come! don't be long-winded.”
”You must hear me.”
”Go on.”
”I will suppose she does not imagine you mean to marry her.”
”She can't!”
”Why not?”
”She's not a fool, and she can't imagine me such an idiot!”
”But may she not suppose you love her?”
He tried to laugh.
”You have never told her so?--never said or done anything to make her think so?”
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