"First, to demand on what grounds you condemned me as a 'devilish beauty'?
And why you assume that I should not be faithful to Robert for a year?"
"I am a rather good judge of character," he said.
"You cannot be, or you would see that whatever accident makes me have this
objectionable outside, the me that lives within is an honest person who
never breaks her word."
"I can only see red hair, and green eyes, and a general look of the
devil."
"Would you wish people always to judge by appearances, then?" I said;
"because, if so, I see before me a prejudiced, narrow-minded,
cruel-tempered, cynical man--jealous of youth's joys. But _I_ would not be
so unjust as to stamp you with these qualities because of that!"
He looked straight at me, startled. "I may be all these things," he said.
"You are probably right."
"Then, oh, please don't be!" I went on quickly. "I want you to be kind to
us. We--oh, we do, do so wish to be happy, and we are both so young, and
life will be so utterly blank and worthless for all those years to the end
if you part us now."
"I did not say I would part you," he said, coldly. "I merely said I
refused to give Robert any allowance, and I shall leave everything in my
power away from the title. If you like to get married on those terms you
are welcome to."
Then I told him that I loved Robert far too much to like the thought of
spoiling his future.
"We came into each other's lives," I said. "We did not ask it of fate, she
pushed us there, and I tried not to speak to him because I had promised a
friend of mine I would not, as she said she liked him herself, and it made
us both dreadfully unhappy; and every day we mattered more to each other
until yesterday, when I thought he had gone away for good and I was too
miserable for words, we met in the park, and it was no use pretending any
longer. Oh, you _can't_ want to crush out all joy and life for us, just
because I have red hair! It is so horribly unjust."
"You beautiful siren!" he said. "You are coaxing me. How you know how to
use your charms and your powers, and what _man_ could resist your tempting
face!"