And as I have no other impossible
task inviting me at present, I decided to undertake
you--if you were willing.''
``Why do you tell me this?'' she asked. ``To
discourage me?''
``No. Your vanity will prevent that.''
``Then why?''
``To clear myself of all responsibility for you. You
understand--I bind myself to nothing. I am free to
stop or to go on at any time.''
``And I?'' said Mildred.
``You must do exactly as I tell you.''
``But that is not fair,'' cried she.
``Why not?'' inquired he. ``Without me you have
no hope--none whatever.''
``I don't believe that,'' declared she. ``It is not
true.''
``Very well. Then we'll drop the business,'' said he
tranquilly. ``If the time comes when you see that I'm
your only hope, and if then I'm in my present humor,
we will go on.''
And he lapsed into silence from which she soon gave
over trying to rouse him. She thought of what he had
said, studied him, but could make nothing of it. She
let four days go by, days of increasing unrest and
unhappiness.
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