ThenIhadlanded，andwasgoingbacktowhereherhorsestoodstillandtrembling。
Weexchangednogreetings。Sheslidfromhersaddleintomyarms，andforoneinstantIheldher。
“Thosegreatwings。”shesaid，andthatwasall。
Shelayinmyarms，andIthoughtforamomentshehadfainted。
“Verynearanastyaccident。”saidCothope，comingupandregardingourgroupingwithdisfavour。Hetookherhorsebythebridle。“Verydangerousthingcomingacrossuslikethat。”
Beatricedisengagedherselffromme，stoodforamomenttrembling，andthensatdownontheturf“I’lljustsitdownforamoment。”shesaid。
“Oh！”shesaid。
Shecoveredherfacewithherhands，whileCothopelookedatherwithanexpressionbetweensuspicionandimpatience。
Forsomemomentsnobodymoved。ThenCothoperemarkedthatperhapshe’dbettergetherwater。
Asforme，Iwasfilledwithanewoutrageousidea，begottenI
scarcelyknowhowfromthisincident，withitsinstantcontactsandswiftemotions，andthatwasthatImustmakelovetoandpossessBeatrice。Iseenoparticularreasonwhythatthoughtshouldhavecometomeinthatmoment，butitdid。IdonotbelievethatbeforethenIhadthoughtofourrelationsinsuchtermsatall。Suddenly，asIrememberit，thefactorofpassioncame。Shecrouchedthere，andIstoodoverher，andneitherofussaidaword。Butitwasjustasthoughsomethinghadbeenshoutedfromthesky。
Cothopehadgonetwentypacesperhapswhensheuncoveredherface。“Ishan’twantanywater。”shesaid。“Callhimback。”
Afterthatthespiritofourrelationschanged。Theoldeasehadgone。Shecametomelessfrequently，andwhenshecameshewouldhavesomeonewithher，usuallyoldCarnaby，andhewoulddothebulkofthetalking。AllthroughSeptembershewasaway。
Whenwewerealonetogethertherewasacuriousconstraint。Webecamecloudsofinexpressiblefeelingtowardsoneanother；wecouldthinkofnothingthatwasnottoomomentousforwords。
ThencamethesmashofLordRobertsA，andIfoundmyselfwithabandagedfaceinabedroomintheBedleyCornerdower-housewithBeatricepresidingoveraninefficientnurse，LadyOspreyverypinkandshockedinthebackground，andmyauntjealouslyintervening。
Myinjuriesweremuchmoreshowythanserious，andIcouldhavebeentakentoLadyGrovenextday，butBeatricewouldnotpermitthat，andkeptmeatBedleyCornerthreecleardays。Intheafternoonoftheseconddayshebecameextremelysolicitousfortheproperaerationofthenurse，packedheroffforanhourinabriskrain，andsatbymealone。
Iaskedhertomarryme。
AllthewholeImustadmititwasnotasituationthatlentitselftoeloquence。Ilayonmybackandtalkedthroughbandages，andwithsomelittledifficulty，formytongueandmouthhadswollen。ButIwasfeverishandinpain，andtheemotionalsuspenseIhadbeeninsolongwithregardtoherbecamenowanunendurableimpatience。
“Comfortable？”sheasked。
“Yes。”
“ShallIreadtoyou？”
“No。Iwanttotalk。”
“Youcan’t。I’dbettertalktoyou。”
“No。”Isaid，“Iwanttotalktoyou。”
Shecameandstoodbymybedsideandlookedmeintheeyes。“I
don’t——Idon’twantyoutotalktome。”shesaid。“Ithoughtyoucouldn’ttalk。”
“Igetfewchances——ofyou。”
“You’dbetternottalk。Don’ttalknow。Letmechatterinstead。
Yououghtnottotalk。”
“Itisn’tmuch“Isaid。
“I’dratheryoudidn’t。”
“I’mnotgoingtobedisfigured。”Isaid。“Onlyascar。”
“Oh！”shesaid，asifshehadexpectedsomethingquitedifferent。“Didyouthinkyou’dbecomeasortofgargoyle？”
“L’HommequiRit！——Ididn’tknow。Butthat’sallright。Jollyflowersthoseare！”
“Michaelmasdaisies。”shesaid。“I’mgladyou’rnotdisfigured，andthoseareperennialsunflowers。Doyouknownoflowersatall？WhenIsawyouonthegroundIcertainlythoughtyouweredead。Yououghttohavebeen，byalltherulesofthegame。”
Shesaidsomeotherthings，butIwasthinkingofmynextmove。
“Arewesocialequals？”Isaidabruptly。
Shestaredatme。“Queerquestion。”shesaid。
“Butarewe？”
“H’m。Difficulttosay。Butwhydoyouask？IsthedaughterofacourtesyBaronwhodied——ofgeneraldisreputableness，I
believe——beforehisfather——？Igiveitup。Doesitmatter？”
“No。Mymindisconfused。Iwanttoknowifyouwillmarryme。”
Shewhitenedandsaidnothing。IsuddenlyfeltImustpleadwithher。“Damnthesebandages！”Isaid，breakingintoineffectualfebrilerage。
Sherousedherselftoherdutiesasnurse。“Whatareyoudoing？
Whyareyoutryingtositup？Sitdown！Don’ttouchyourbandages。Itoldyounottotalk。”
Shestoodhelplessforamoment，thentookmefirmlybytheshouldersandpushedmebackuponthepillow。ShegrippedthewristofthehandIhadraisedtomyface。
“Itoldyounottotalk。”shewhisperedclosetomyface。“I
askedyounottotalk。Whycouldn’tyoudoasIaskedyou？”
“You’vebeenavoidingmeforamonth。”Isaid。
“Iknow。Youmighthaveknown。Putyourhandback——downbyyourside。”
Iobeyed。Shesatontheedgeofthebed。Aflushhadcometohercheeks，andhereyeswereverybright。“Iaskedyou。”sherepeated，“nottotalk。”
Myeyesquestionedhermutely。
Sheputherhandonmychest。Hereyesweretormented。
“HowcanIansweryounow？”shesaid。
“HowcanIsayanythingnow？”
“Whatdoyoumean？”Iasked。
Shemadenoanswer。
“Doyoumeanitmustbe’No’？”
Shenodded。
“But“Isaid，andmywholesoulwasfullofaccusations。
“Iknow。”shesaid。“Ican’texplain。Ican’t。Butithastobe’No！’Itcan’tbe。It’sutterly，finally，foreverimpossible。Keepyourhandsstill！”
“But。”Isaid，“whenwemetagain——“
“Ican’tmarry。Ican’tandwon’t。”
Shestoodup。“Whydidyoutalk？”shecried，“couldn’tyouSEE？”
Sheseemedtohavesomethingitwasimpossibletosay。
ShecametothetablebesidemybedandpulledtheMichaelmasdaisiesawry。“Whydidyoutalklikethat？”shesaidinatoneofinfinitebitterness。“Tobeginlikethat！”
“Butwhatisit？”Isaid。“Isitsomecircumstance——mysocialposition？”
“Oh，DAMNyoursocialposition！”shecried。
Shewentandstoodatthefurtherwindow，staringoutattherain。Foralongtimewewereabsolutelystill。Thewindandraincameinlittlegustsuponthepane。Sheturnedtomeabruptly。
“Youdidn’taskmeifIlovedyou。”shesaid。
“Oh，ifit’sTHAT！”saidI。
“It’snotthat。”shesaid。“Butifyouwanttoknow——“Shepaused。
“Ido。”shesaid。
Westaredatoneanother。
“Ido——withallmyheart，ifyouwanttoknow。”
“Then，whythedevil——？”Iasked。