After that he said nothing further to her upon the subject.

To Bell he spoke no word of overt love; but on an autumn day, when Mrs Dale was already convalescent, and the repetition of his professional visits had become unnecessary, he got her to walk with him through the half-hidden shrubbery paths, and then told her things which he should never have told her, if he really wished to bind her heart to his.
He repeated that story of his income, and explained to her that his poverty was only grievous to him in that it prevented him from thinking of marriage.

"I suppose it must," said Bell.

"I should think it wrong to ask any lady to share such an income as mine," said he.
Whereupon Bell had suggested to him that some ladies had incomes of their own, and that he might in that way get over the difficulty.

"I should be afraid of myself in marrying a girl with money," said he; "besides, that is altogether out of the question now." Of course Bell did not ask him why it was out of the question, and for a time they went on walking in silence.