Oh, Susan, say
you do."
He was as close to her as he could get without touching her, which, the
question now fairly put, he carefully avoided doing. Taller than she
he loomed over her, bending for her answer, quivering and sweating in
his anxiety.
The young girl was completely subdued by him. She was frightened, not
of the man, but of the sudden revelation of forces which she did not in
the least comprehend and which made him another person. Though she
vaguely understood that she still dominated him, she saw that her
dominion came from something much more subtle than verbal command and
imperious bearing. All confusion and bewildered meekness, she melted,
partly because she had meant to, partly because his vehemence
overpowered her, and partly because she wanted to end the most trying
scene she had ever been through.
"Will you say yes? Oh, you must say yes," she heard him imploring, and
she emitted the monosyllable on a caught breath and then held her head
even lower and felt an aggrieved amazement that it was all so different
from what she had thought it would be.
He gave an exclamation, a sound almost of pain, and drew away from her.
Pages:
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154