"We came into each other's lives," I said. "We did not ask it of fate, she
pushed us there, and I tried not to speak to him because I had promised a
friend of mine I would not, as she said she liked him herself, and it made
us both dreadfully unhappy; and every day we mattered more to each other
until yesterday, when I thought he had gone away for good and I was too
miserable for words, we met in the park, and it was no use pretending any
longer. Oh, you _can't_ want to crush out all joy and life for us, just
because I have red hair! It is so horribly unjust."
"You beautiful siren!" he said. "You are coaxing me. How you know how to
use your charms and your powers, and what _man_ could resist your tempting
face!"
I rose in passionate scorn.
"How dare you say such things to me!" I said. "I would not stoop to coax
you. I will not again ask you for any boon. I only wanted you to do me the
justice of realizing you had made a mistake in my character--to do your
brother the justice of conceding the point that he has some right to love
whom he chooses. But keep your low thoughts to yourself--evil, cruel man!
Robert and I have got something that is better than all your lands and
money--a dear, great love, and I am glad--glad he will not in the future
receive anything that is in your gift. I shall give him the gift of
myself, and we shall do very well without you;" and I walked to the door,
leaving him huddled in the chair.
Thus ended our talk on justice.
Never has my head been so up in the air. I am sure had Cleopatra been
dragged to Rome in Augustus's triumph she would not have walked with more
pride and contempt than I through the hall of Vavasour House.
The old servant was waiting for me, and Veronique, and the brougham.
"Call a hansom, if you please," I said, and stood there like a statue
while one of the footmen had to run into St. James's Street for it.
Then we drove away, and I felt my teeth chatter while my cheeks burned.
Oh, what an end to my scheme and my dreams of, perhaps, success!
But what a beast of a man! What a cruel, warped, miserable creature. I
will not let him separate me from Robert--never, never! He is not worth
it. I will wait for him--my darling--and if he really loves me, some day
we can be happy, and if he does not--but, oh, I need not fear.
I am still shaking with passion, and shall go to bed. I do not want any
dinner.
Tuesday morning, _November 29th._
Veronique would not let me go to bed, she insisted upon my eating, and
then after dinner I sat in an old but lovely wrap of white crepe, and she
brushed out my hair for more than an hour--there is such a tremendous lot
of it, it takes time.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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