下载辰思小说免费APP
’Yes；solelybecauseyoumarriedhimonthedayIwasfreetoaskyoutomarryme。Mywifediedfour-and-twentyhoursbeforeyouwenttochurchwithDowne。Thefixingofmyjourneyatthatparticularmomentwasbecauseofherfuneral；butonceawayIknewIshouldhavenoinducementtocomeback，andtookmystepsaccordingly。’
Herfaceassumedanaspectofgentlereflection，andshelookedupanddownhisformwithgreatinterestinhereyes。’Ineverthoughtofit！’shesaid。’Iknew，ofcourse，thatyouhadonceimpliedsomewarmthoffeelingtowardsme，butIconcludedthatitpassedoff。AndIhavealwaysbeenundertheimpressionthatyourwifewasaliveatthetimeofmymarriage。Wasitnotstupidofme！——Butyouwillhavesometeaorsomething？Ihaveneverdinedlate，youknow，sincemyhusband’sdeath。Ihavegotintothewayofmakingaregularmealoftea。Youwillhavesometeawithme，willyounot？’
Thetravelledmanassentedquitereadily，andteawasbroughtin。
Theysatandchattedoverthemeal，regardlessoftheflyinghour。
’Well，well！’saidBarnetpresently，asforthefirsttimeheleisurelysurveyedtheroom；’howlikeitallis，andyethowdifferent！Justwhereyourpianostandswasaboardonacoupleoftrestles，bearingthepatternsofwall-papers，whenIwaslasthere。
Iwaschoosingthem——standinginthisway，asitmightbe。Thenmyservantcameinatthedoor，andhandedmeanote，so。ItwasfromDowne，andannouncedthatyouwerejustgoingtobemarriedtohim。
Ichosenomorewall-papers——toreupallthoseIhadselected，andleftthehouse。Ineverentereditagaintillnow。’
’Ah，atlastIunderstanditall，’shemurmured。
Theyhadbothrisenandgonetothefireplace。Themantelcamealmostonalevelwithhershoulder，whichgentlyrestedagainstit，andBarnetlaidhishandupontheshelfclosebesidehershoulder。
’Lucy，’hesaid，’betterlatethannever。Willyoumarrymenow？’
Shestartedback，andthesurprisewhichwassoobviousinherwroughtevengreatersurpriseinhimthatitshouldbeso。Itwasdifficulttobelievethatshehadbeenquiteblindtothesituation，andyetallreasonandcommonsensewenttoprovethatshewasnotacting。
’Youtakemequiteunawaresbysuchaquestion！’shesaid，withaforcedlaughofuneasiness。Itwasthefirsttimeshehadshownanyembarrassmentatall。’Why，’sheadded，’Icouldn’tmarryyoufortheworld。’
’Notafterallthis！Whynot？’
’Itis——Iwould——IreallythinkImaysayit——Iwoulduponthewholerathermarryyou，Mr。Barnet，thananyothermanIhaveevermet，ifIeverdreamedofmarriageagain。ButIdon’tdreamofit——itisquiteoutofmythoughts；Ihavenottheleastintentionofmarryingagain。’
’But——onmyaccount——couldn’tyoualteryourplansalittle？Come！’
’DearMr。Barnet，’shesaidwithalittleflutter，’Iwouldonyouraccountifonanybody’sinexistence。Butyoudon’tknowintheleastwhatitisyouareasking——suchanimpracticablething——I
won’tsayridiculous，ofcourse，becauseIseethatyouarereallyinearnest，andearnestnessisneverridiculoustomymind。’
’Well，yes，’saidBarnetmoreslowly，droppingherhand，whichhehadtakenatthemomen
