Part 29 (2/2)
”So--if you married me, you would be more than welcome to go on with your profession. I wouldn't stand in your way any more than I do now.
'Fourth--Freedom,'” he read slowly. ”That is easy in one way--hard in another. If you married me,”--She stirred resentfully at this constant reference to their marriage; but he seemed purely hypothetical in tone; ”_I_ wouldn't interfere with your freedom any. Not of my own will. But if you ever grew to love me--or if there were children--it would make _some_ difference. Not much. There mightn't be any children, and it isn't likely you'd ever love me enough to have that stand in your way.
Otherwise than that you'd have freedom--as much as now. A little more; because if you wanted to make a foreign tour, or anything like that, I'd take care of Johnnie. 'Fifth--Lovers.'” Here he paused leaning forward with his chin in his hands, his eyes bent down. She could see the broad heavy shoulders, the smooth fit of the well-made, coat, the spotless collar, and the fine, strong, clean-cut neck. As it happened she particularly disliked the neck of the average man--either the cordy, the beefy or the adipose, and particularly liked this kind, firm and round like a Roman's, with the hair coming to a clean-cut edge and stopping there.
”As to lovers,” he went on--”I hesitate a little as to what to say about that. I'm afraid I shall shock you. Perhaps I'd better leave out that one.”
”As insuperable?” she mischievously asked.
”No, as too easy,” he answered.
”You'd better explain,” she said.
”Well then--it's simply this: as a man--I myself admire you more because so many other men admire you. I don't sympathize with them, any!--Not for a minute. Of course, if you loved any one of them you wouldn't be my wife. But if you were my wife--”
”Well?” said she, a little breathlessly. ”You're very irritating! What would you do? Kill 'em all? Come--If I were your wife?--”
”If you were my wife--” he turned and faced her squarely, his deep eyes blazing steadily into hers, ”In the first place the more lovers you had that you didn't love the better I'd be pleased.”
”And if I did?” she dared him.
”If you were my wife,” he purused with perfect quietness, ”you would never love anyone else.”
There was a throbbing silence.
”'Sixth--Housekeeping,'” he read.
At this she rose to her feet as if released. ”Sixth and last and all-sufficient!” she burst out, giving herself a little shake as if to waken. ”Final and conclusive and admitting no reply!”--I will not keep house for any man. Never! Never!! Never!!!”
”Why should you?” he said, as he had said it before; ”Why not board?”
”I wouldn't board on any account!”
”But you are boarding now. Aren't you comfortable here?”
”O yes, perfectly comfortable. But this is the only boarding-house I ever saw that was comfortable.”
”Why not go on as we are--if you married me?”
She laughed shrilly. ”With the other boarders round them and a whole floor laid between,” she parodied gaily. ”No, sir! _If_ I ever married again--and I wont--I'd want a home of my own--a whole house--and have it run as smoothly and perfectly as this does. With no more care than I have now!”
”If I could give you a whole house, like this, and run it for you as smoothly and perfectly as this one--then would you marry me?” he asked.
”O, I dare say I would,” she said mockingly.
”My dear,” said he, ”I have kept this house--for you--for three years.”
”What do you mean?” she demanded, flus.h.i.+ngly.
”I mean that it is my business,” he answered serenely. ”Some men run hotels and some restaurants: I keep a number of boarding houses and make a handsome income from them. All the people are comfortable--I see to that. I planned to have you use these rooms, had the dumbwaiter run to the top so you could have meals comfortably there. You didn't much like the first housekeeper. I got one you liked better; cooks to please you, maids to please you. I have most seriously tried to make you comfortable. When you didn't like a boarder I got rid of him--or her--they are mostly all your friends now. Of course if we were married, we'd fire 'em all.” His tone was perfectly calm and business like. ”You should keep your special apartments on top; you should also have the floor above this, a larger bedroom, drawing-room, and bath and private parlor for you;--I'd stay right here as I am now--and when you wanted me--I'd be here.”
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