下载辰思小说免费APP
’No，Icannotletyouin，’shemurmured，afterapause。
’Dashmywig，then，’hecried，hisfaceflamingup，’I’llfindawaytogetin！Now，don’tyouprovokeme！Youdon’tknowwhatIamcapableof。Iaskyouagain，willyouopenthedoor？’
’Whydoyouwishit？’shesaidfaintly。
’IhavetoldyouIwanttositdown；andIwanttoaskyouaquestion。’
’Youcanaskmefromwhereyouare。’
’Icannotaskyouproperly。Itisaboutaseriousmatter:whetheryouwillacceptmyheartandhand。Iamnotgoingtothrowmyselfatyourfeet；butIaskyoutodoyourdutyasawoman，namely，giveyoursolemnwordtotakemynameassoonasthewarisoverandI
havetimetoattendtoyou。Iscorntoaskitofahaughtyhussywhowillonlyspeaktomethroughawindow；however，Iputittoyouforthelasttime，madam。’
Therewasnosignonthedownofanybody’sreturn，andshesaid，’I’llthinkofit，sir。’
’Youhavethoughtofitlongenough；Iwanttoknow。Willyouorwon’tyou？’
’Verywell；IthinkIwill。’Andthenshefeltthatshemightbebuyingpersonalsafetytoodearlybyshufflingthus，sincehewouldspreadthereportthatshehadacceptedhim，andcauseendlesscomplication。’No，’shesaid，’Ihavechangedmymind。Icannotacceptyou，Mr。Derriman。’
’That’showyouplaywithme！’heexclaimed，stamping。’“Yes，“onemoment；“No，“thenext。Come，youdon’tknowwhatyourefuse。Thatoldhallismyuncle’sown，andhehasnobodyelsetoleaveitto。
Assoonashe’sdeadIshallthrowupfarmingandstartasasquire。
Andnow，’headdedwithabittersneer，’whatafoolyouaretohangbackfromsuchachance！’
’Thankyou，Idon’tvalueit，’saidAnne。
’Becauseyouhatehimwhowouldmakeityours？’
’Itmaynotlieinyourpowertodothat。’
’What——hastheoldfellowbeentellingyouhisaffairs？’
’No。’
’Thenwhydoyoumistrustme？Now，afterthiswillyouopenthedoor，andshowthatyoutreatmeasafriendifyouwon’tacceptmeasalover？Ionlywanttositandtalktoyou。’
Annethoughtshewouldtrusthim；itseemedalmostimpossiblethathecouldharmher。Sheretiredfromthewindowandwentdownstairs。
Whenherhandwasupontheboltofthedoor，hermindmisgaveher。
Insteadofwithdrawingitsheremainedinsilencewhereshewas，andhebeganagain——
’Areyougoingtounfastenit？’
Annedidnotspeak。
’Now，dashmywig，Iwillgetatyou！You’vetriedmebeyondendurance。Onekisswouldhavebeenenoughthatdayinthemead；
nowI’llhaveforty，whetheryouwillorno！’
Heflunghimselfagainstthedoor；butasitwasbolted，andhadinadditionagreatwoodenbaracrossit，thisproducednoeffect。Hewassilentforamoment，andthentheterrifiedgirlheardhimattempttheshutteredwindow。Sheranupstairsandagainscannedthedown。Theyellowgigstilllayintheblazingsunshine，andthehorseofFestusstoodbythecornerofthegarden——nothingelsewastobeseen。Atthismomenttherecametoherearthenoiseofasworddrawnfromitsscabbard；and，peepingoverthewindow-sill，shesawhertormentordrivehisswordbetweenthejointsoftheshutters，inanattempttoripthemopen。Theswordsnappedoffinhishand。Withanimprecationhepulledoutthepiece，andreturnedthetwohalvestothescabbard。
’Ha！ha！’hecried，catchingsightofthetopofherhead。’’Tisonlyajoke，youknow；butI’llgetinallthesame。Allforakiss！Butnevermind，we’lldoityet！’Hespokeinanaffectedlylighttone，asifashamedofhispreviousresentfultemper；butshecouldseebythelividbackofhisneckthathewasbrimfulofsuppressedpassion。’Onlyajest，youknow，’hewenton。’Howarewegoingtodoitnow？Why，inthisway。Igoandgetaladder，andenterattheupperwindowwheremyloveis。Andthere’stheladderlyingunderthatcorn-rickinthefirstenclosedfield。Backintwominutes，dear！’
Heranoff，andwaslosttoherview。
Annefearfullysurveyedherposition。Theupperwindowsofthecottagewereofflimsiestlead-work，andtokeephimoutwouldbehopeless。Shefeltthatnotamomentwastobelostingettingaway。Runningdownstairssheopenedthedoor，andthenitoccurredtoherterrifiedunderstandingthattherewouldbenochanceofescapingh
