A little gravely perhaps, but not at all
inhospitably, she rose and offered her hand.
"Forgive me," he began, "for coming again so soon."
"Tell me what you think of this idea of a book-cover," said Bertha,
before he had ceased speaking.
He inspected the drawing, found it pretty, yet ventured one or two
objections; and Bertha, after smiling to herself for a little,
declared that he had found the weak points.
"You are really fond of this work?" asked Will. "You would be sorry
to give it up?"
"Think of the world's loss," Bertha answered with raised eyebrows.
He sat down and kept a short silence, whilst the girl resumed her
pencil.
"There were things I ought to have told you on Sunday." Will's voice
threatened huskiness. "Things I forgot. That's why I have come again
so soon. I ought to have told you much more about myself. How can
you know my character--my peculiarities--faults? I've been going
over all that. I don't think I'm ill-tempered, or unjust or violent,
but there are things that irritate me. Unpunctuality for instance.
Dinner ten minutes late makes me fume; failure to keep an
appointment makes me hate a person, I'm rather a grumbler about
food; can't stand a potato ill-boiled or an under-done chop. Then--
ah yes! restraint is intolerable to me. I must come and go at my own
will. I must do and refrain just as I think fit. One enormous
advantage of my shopkeeping is that I'm my own master. I can't
subordinate myself, won't be ruled.
Pages:
301
302
303
304
305
306
307
308
309
310
311
312
313
314
315
316
317
318
319
320
321
322