She knew not what excuse to make, and at last descended slowly
to the parlour. She was very happy, but had it been possible for her to
have run away she would have gone.
'Dear Dorothy,' he said at once. 'I may call you so, may I not?'
'Oh yes.'
'And you will love me and be my own, own wife?'
'No, Mr Burgess.'
'No?'
'I mean that is to say--'
'Do you love me, Dorothy?'
'Only think how ill Aunt Stanbury is, Mr Burgess; perhaps dying! How
can I have any thought now except about her? It wouldn't be right would
it?'
'You may say that you love me.'
'Mr Burgess, pray, pray don't speak of it now. If you do I must go
away.'
'But do you love me?'
'Pray, pray don't, Mr Burgess!'
There was nothing more to be got from her during the whole day than
that. He told her in the evening that as soon as Miss Stanbury was
well, he would come again, that in any case he would come again. She sat
quite still as he said this, with a solemn face but smiling at heart,
laughing at heart, so happy! When she got up to leave him, and was
forced to give him her hand, he seized her in his arms and kissed her.
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