"Why the only thing in the world that I take you as thinking of. Not
accepting--what she has done. Isn't there some regular name in such
cases? Not taking up the bequest."
"There's something you forget in it," he said after a moment. "My
asking you to join with me in doing so."
Her wonder but made her softer, yet at the same time didn't make her
less firm. "How can I 'join' in a matter with which I've nothing to do?"
"How? By a single word."
"And what word?"
"Your consent to my giving up."
"My consent has no meaning when I can't prevent you."
"You can perfectly prevent me. Understand that well," he said.
She seemed to face a threat in it. "You mean you won't give up if I
_don't_ consent?"
"Yes. I do nothing."
"That, as I understand, is accepting."