One morning I found a note on the smoking-room table to say that
Margaret had accepted him, and I have come here to ask you to marry me.
Margaret had accepted him, and I have come here to ask you to marry me.
Yeats
'
'Are you married, then? You must introduce me to your wife. '
'I shall never be married to Miss Leland. '
'What? '
'She has preferred another--my friend William Howard. I have come here
to tell you something, Mary. ' He went and stood close to her and took
her hand tenderly. 'I have always been very fond of you. Often in
London, when I was trying to think of another kind of life, I used to
see this fireside and you sitting beside it, where we used to sit and
talk about the future. Mary--Mary,' he held her hand in both his--'you
will be my wife? '
'You do not love me, John,' she answered, drawing herself away. 'You
have come to me because you think it your duty. I have had nothing but
duty all my life. '
'Listen,' he said. 'I was very miserable; I invited Howard to stay with
us.
One morning I found a note on the smoking-room table to say that
Margaret had accepted him, and I have come here to ask you to marry me.
I never cared for anyone else. '
He found himself speaking hurriedly, as though anxious to get the
words said and done with. It now seemed to him that he had done ill
in this matter of Miss Leland. He had not before thought of it--his
mind had always been busy with other things. Mary Carton looked at him
wonderingly.
'John,' she said at last, 'did you ask Mr. Howard to stay with you on
purpose to get him to fall in love with Miss Leland, or to give you an
excuse for breaking off your engagement, as you knew he flirted with
everyone? '
'Margaret seems very fond of him. I think they are made for each
other,' he answered.
'Did you ask him to London on purpose? '
'Well, I will tell you,' he faltered. 'I was very miserable. I had
drifted into this engagement I don't know how. Margaret glitters and
glitters and glitters, but she is not of my kind. I suppose I thought,
like a fool, I should marry someone who was rich.
'Are you married, then? You must introduce me to your wife. '
'I shall never be married to Miss Leland. '
'What? '
'She has preferred another--my friend William Howard. I have come here
to tell you something, Mary. ' He went and stood close to her and took
her hand tenderly. 'I have always been very fond of you. Often in
London, when I was trying to think of another kind of life, I used to
see this fireside and you sitting beside it, where we used to sit and
talk about the future. Mary--Mary,' he held her hand in both his--'you
will be my wife? '
'You do not love me, John,' she answered, drawing herself away. 'You
have come to me because you think it your duty. I have had nothing but
duty all my life. '
'Listen,' he said. 'I was very miserable; I invited Howard to stay with
us.
One morning I found a note on the smoking-room table to say that
Margaret had accepted him, and I have come here to ask you to marry me.
I never cared for anyone else. '
He found himself speaking hurriedly, as though anxious to get the
words said and done with. It now seemed to him that he had done ill
in this matter of Miss Leland. He had not before thought of it--his
mind had always been busy with other things. Mary Carton looked at him
wonderingly.
'John,' she said at last, 'did you ask Mr. Howard to stay with you on
purpose to get him to fall in love with Miss Leland, or to give you an
excuse for breaking off your engagement, as you knew he flirted with
everyone? '
'Margaret seems very fond of him. I think they are made for each
other,' he answered.
'Did you ask him to London on purpose? '
'Well, I will tell you,' he faltered. 'I was very miserable. I had
drifted into this engagement I don't know how. Margaret glitters and
glitters and glitters, but she is not of my kind. I suppose I thought,
like a fool, I should marry someone who was rich.
