It was a chance to win much at the risk of nothing, and he was too good a gambler to let it pass.
With his brusque declaration Necia realized her position--that she was a weak, lonely girl, just come into womanhood, so cursed by good looks that men wanted her, so stained by birth that they would not take her honestly; realized that she was alone with a dissolute creature and beyond help, and for the first time in her life she felt the meaning of fear.
She saw what a frail and helpless thing she was; nothing about her was great save her soul, and that was immeasurably vexed and worried.

She had just lived through a grief that had made her generous, and now she gained her first knowledge of the man-animal's gross selfishness.
"You are absolutely daft," she said.

"You can't force me to marry you." "I ain't going to force you; you'll do it willingly." "I'll die first.

I'll call the first man we see--I'll tell Father Barnum, and he'll have you run out of the country--it would only take a word from me." "If you haven't changed your mind when we get to his place, I'll run through without stopping; but there isn't another priest between there and St.Mike's, and by the time we get to the mouth of the river, I guess you'll say yes to most anything.

However, I'd rather marry you at Holy Cross if you'll consent, and I'm pretty sure you will--when you think it over." "We won't discuss it." "You don't understand yet," he continued, slowly.