The two lovers said unheeded things about the flowers to each other
and then fell silent. Then Miss Grammont turned her head and seemed
deliberately to measure her companion's distance. Evidently she judged
her out of earshot.
"Well," said Miss Grammont in her soft even voice. "We love one another.
Is that so still?"
"I could not love you more."
"It wasn't a dream?"
"No."
"And to-morrow we part?"
He looked her in the eyes. "I have been thinking of that all night," he
said at last.
"I too."
"And you think--?"
"That we must part. Just as we arranged it when was it? Three days or
three ages ago? There is nothing else in the world to do except for us
to go our ways.... I love you. That means for a woman--It means that I
want to be with you. But that is impossible.... Don't doubt whether I
love you because I say--impossible...."
Sir Richmond, faced with his own nocturnal decision, was now moved to
oppose it flatly. "Nothing that one can do is impossible."
She glanced again at Belinda and bent down towards him. "Suppose," she
said, "you got back into that car with me; suppose that instead of going
on as we have planned, you took me away. How much of us would go?"
"You would go," said Sir Richmond, "and my heart."
"And this work of yours? And your honour? For the honour of a man in
this New Age of yours will be first of all in the work he does for the
world.
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