And you like the work. You've just admitted
that you like it."
He saw the light begin to fade from her eyes. She shook her head.
"If you are going to suggest that I go with you as your secretary,"
she said with her old bluntness, "it is useless. I have tried that
way out. I won't try it again." Her lips grew stern and her eyes
dark with some too bitter memory.
"I honestly don't see what Dr. Farr could do," said Spence
tentatively.
"You would," said Dr. Farr's daughter with decision.
"And anyway," proceeding hastily, "that wasn't what I was thinking
of. I knew that you would refuse to go as my secretary. I ask you to
go as my wife."
Desire rose.
"Is this where I am expected to manifest emotion?" she asked dryly.
"Yes. And you're doing it! I knew you would. .Women are utterly
unreasoning. You won't even listen to what I have to say."
The girl moved slowly away.
"And I can't get up without help," he added querulously.
Desire stopped. "You can," she said.
"I can't. Not after that dreadful climb."
"Then I shall wait until you are ready. But we do not need to
continue this conversation."
The professor sighed. "This," he said, "is what comes of taking a
woman at her word."
"What?"
"I might have known," he went on guilefully, "that you didn't really
mean it. No young girl would."
"Mean what?"
"That you had no room in your scheme of things for ordinary
marriage. Of course you were talking nonsense.
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