“You put as much persistence into it as another would in pleading for exactly the opposite,” remarked Lacour, his coolness contrasting strangely with her agitated vehemence. “You know that a wish of yours is a law to me, and I promise you to agree to nothing you would dislike; remember that they cannot do without my assent. But you see,” he added, “that it is not a very easy thing for me to urge. I have already been made to feel quite sufficiently----” He interrupted himself. Ada waited for him to resume, still standing before him, but he kept silence. “What have you been made to feel?” she asked, more quietly, her eyes searchingly fixed on him. “Well, we won’t speak of that. Why do you stand? Come and let us talk of other things. You do indeed, Ada, look wretchedly ill.” She averted her face impatiently. Though he had risen and was placing a chair for her, she moved to the window again. “For my own part,” said Vincent, watching her, “I am grieved that you have set your mind on that. My own resolve was that everything should be settled on you. I hadn’t given the matter a thought till just lately, but well, that is what I had determined.” Ada turned in his direction. “You have been corresponding with Mrs. Clarendon?” she said, only half interruptedly. “Yes, you told me. I understand.” What she understood was clear enough to Lacour, and his silence was filled with a rather vigorous inward debate. A protest of conscience--strengthened by prudential reasons--urged his next words. “You mustn’t let me convey a false impression. Mrs. Clarendon is delicacy itself; I am quite sure she would not mean----” He checked himself, naturally confirming the false impression. Conscience had still a voice, but the resolve with which he had come into Ada’s presence grew stronger as he talked with her. Then she did a curious thing. Coming from the window, she seemed about to walk past him, but, instead of passing, paused just when her dress almost brushed his feet, and stood with her eyes fixed on the ground. “Do sit down.” Lacour forced himself to say, rising again and laying his hand on the other chair. He saw that she trembled; then, with a quick movement, she went to a chair at a greater distance. “These things are horribly awkward to talk about,” he said, leaning forward at his ease. “Let’s put them aside, shall we? We shall have plenty of time to consider all that.” Ada raised her face and looked at him. “Plenty of time?” “Surely. I have begged Mrs. Clarendon to remember how anxious we both are to do nothing hastily, to leave her ample time for the arrangements she will find necessary,--her own, I mean. I am sure I represented your wish?” “Certainly,” was the scarcely audible reply.