Page:The time spirit; a romantic tale (IA timespiritromant00snaiiala).pdf/214

 "Yes—but if one has never aspired to it!"

He grew more puzzled.

"Can you afford to be so fastidious?—if you don't think the question impertinent?"

"I have my living to earn," she said very simply, "but of course I don't want that to enter into the case."

"Naturally. Of course. Let me put another question—if it is not impertinent?" The eyes of the Duke had now a grave amusement, but they had also something else. "I suppose you care a good deal for this young man?"

She simply stared at him in a kind of bewilderment.

Such an answer, unexpectedly swift, nobly complete, seemed to disconcert him a little.

"And—and without a word you give him up for the sake of other people?"

"Yes—if they insist upon it."

"If they insist upon it!" He shook his head at her in rather uneasy surprise.

"I have told Jack that I cannot marry him unless he has your full consent."

Again the wide gray eyes looked out fearlessly upon the rather bewildered gentleman. They could hardly refrain from a smile at his growing perplexity. But there was something other than perplexity in his tone when at last he said, "You know of course that I cannot possibly give it."

"Of course not."

The unhesitating reply seemed to increase his surprise. This girl was taking him into deeper places than he had ever been in before. He shook his head at her in a whimsical fashion which she thought quite charming. "It hardly does, you know, to be too bright and