Part 16 (1/2)
”Why not?”
”Oh, for fifty reasons.”
”Please give me one.”
”I would rather not.”
”But I insist upon it.”
”And if I still refuse?”
”I shall stay here till you do answer.”
”Oh, that will be delightful,” he answered, laughing. ”How quickly the days will pa.s.s.”
”Oh, Mr. Sterne, I did not know you could be so provoking,” she said, with a little pout.
”Do you really want a reason?” he said, looking gravely into her eyes.
”Really and truly.”
”Well, then, my invention will affect only the toilers--the poor people if you like. Its success or failure will not matter one whit to Sir Charles Tregony, for instance, and you belong to the same circle, do you not?”
”But its success or failure will matter to you, won't it?”
”It will matter everything to me.”
”What do you mean by that?”
”Just what I say. Everything means everything. I've staked my all.”
”Oh, no, you have not,” she said, brightly. ”You may have staked your fortune, and your reputation as an inventor, and your immediate prospects. But life is left.”
He caught his breath sharply. ”But what is life worth when all you have lived for is swept away?”
”And have you nothing else to live for?” she questioned, seriously.
”Nothing! I'm a lonely soul in a lonely world.”
”But there is still life,” she persisted. ”And no great soul gives up at one failure or at ten.”
He felt the hot blood rush to his face and he averted his eyes instinctively. He did his best to recover himself before she should notice, but her keen eyes were quick to see the look of pain and distress that swept over his face.
”Now I have said something foolish--something that has hurt you----” she began.
”My leg hurts me occasionally,” he answered, with a poor attempt at a smile.
”I have been very thoughtless,” she said, rising suddenly to her feet.
”I did not think how I must be tiring you.”