This year she declared her intention of visiting _me_, but she was
persuaded by friends who were conversant with the circumstances to stay
with them, where I could be with her almost as much as at my apartment at
Mr. Tibbs's. She had long since declared her intention of some day
returning to live with me, and when she came she was strenuous in
insisting that the day had come." The old man's voice broke suddenly as he
observed: "She has--a very--beautiful--character, Mr. Parker."
The foreman nodded with warm confirmation. "I believe you, sir. Yes, sir;
I saw her, and I guess she looks it. You take that kind of a lady usually,
and catch her in a crowd like the one show-day, and she can't help doing
the Grand Duchess, giving the tenants a treat--but not her; she didn't
seem to _separate_ herself from 'em, some way."
"She is a fine lady," said the other simply. "I did not accept her
renunciation, though I acknowledge I forbade it with a very poignant envy.
I could not be the cause of her giving up for my sake her state of ease
and luxury--for my relatives are more than well-to-do, and they made it
plain she must choose between them and me, with the design, I think, of
making it more difficult to choose me. And, also, it seemed to me, as it
did to her, that she owed them nearly everything, but she declared I had
lived alone so long that she owed me everything, also.
Pages:
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249
250
251
252
253
254
255
256
257
258
259
260
261
262
263