 she sat looking at him
with her lips parted and her face as solemn as a tragic mask. There was
evidently something very painful to her in the scene to which he was subjecting
her, and yet her impatience of it found no angry voice. Newman wondered whether
he was hurting her; he could not imagine why the liberal devotion he meant to
express should be disagreeable. He got up and stood before her, leaning one hand
on the chimney-piece. »I know I have seen you very little to say this,« he said,
»so little that it may make what I say seem disrespectful. That is my
misfortune! I could have said it the first time I saw you. Really, I had seen
you before; I had seen you in imagination; you seemed almost an old friend. So
what I say is not mere gallantry and compliments and nonsense - I can't talk
that way, I don't know how, and I wouldn't to you if I could. It's as serious as
such words can be. I feel as if I knew you and knew what a beautiful admirable
woman you are. I shall know better perhaps, some day, but I have a general
notion now. You are just the woman I have been looking for, except that you are
far more perfect. I won't make any protestations and vows, but you can trust me.
It is very soon, I know, to say all this; it is almost offensive. But why not
gain time if one can? And if you want time to reflect - of course you do - the
sooner you begin the better for me. I don't know what you think of me; but there
is no great mystery about me; you see what I am. Your brother told me that my
antecedents and occupations were against me; that your family stands somehow on
a higher level than I do. That is an idea which, of course, I don't understand
and don't accept. But you don't care anything about that. I can assure you that
I am a very solid fellow, and that if I give my mind to it I can arrange things
so that in a very few years I shall not need to waste time in explaining who I
am and what I am. You will decide for yourself whether you like me or not. What
there is you see before you. I honestly believe I have no hidden vices or nasty
tricks. I am kind, kind, kind! Everything that a
