Her Faithful Knight — page 54: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

50 A Story of London. what I had to ask. At last, in the middle of his vows and protestations, I said: : ““Why may I not tell my sister that you love me and that we are engaged?’ “His-arm was round my waist, but as I spoke he with- drew it and sighed deeply. Then he got up and walked away from me. ““T thought you so different from other women,’ he murmured, half to himself. “The tie that binds us is that of soul to soul. We want no conventional engage- ment, no vulgar remarks and congratulations. Sim- “ply to know that you are mine and that | am yours— that would be enough for me.’ “Of course, he made me feel small and conventional and ashamed of myself; but something within me told me I was right, especially as he immediately began to walk about the room and inveigh, not only against en- gagements, but against the marriage tie, declaring it to be an effete and vulgar institution, suitable only for bour- geois minds, to whom true love and the communion of spirit with spirit was unknown. “T felt the ground slipping away from me; but I thought of you, Dorothy, and what you would have said, and that gave me courage. , ““T am sorry, Mr. Trevelyan,’ I said; ‘very, very sorry. But if I had known that those were your opin- ions, I should never have let my heart go‘out to you as it did yesterday.’ “He stopped in his walk and stared at me, half sorrow- fully, half scornfully. “ “Have I been so mistaken in you then?’ he asked. ‘And in your case, also, is marriage and not love the absorbing idea of your mind ?’ “T grew hot and miserable under the implied sneer, but I told him that love and friendship were in my opin- EOmMIGHoOO “S) (E@)