Their meeting, their first kiss, their engagement, had all seemed so inevitable, so natural, there had not been a hint of doubt or decision about it; but now all of a sudden she found herself faced by a situation in which it was impossible to say yes or no.
"It would be wonderful, of course," she said, after a minute, but her tone showed she was not considering it as a possibility.
Wayne's heart sank; he saw that he had thought it possible that he would not allow her to go, but that he had never seriously faced the chance of her refusing.
"Mathilde," he said, "it's far and sudden, and we shall be poor, and I can't promise that I shall succeed more than other fellows; and yet against all that--" She looked at him.
"You don't think I care for those things?
I don't care if you succeed or fail, or live all your life in Siam." "What is it, then ?" "Pete, it's my mother.

She would never consent." Wayne was aware of this, but, then, as he pointed out to Mathilde with great care, Mrs.Farron could not bear for her daughter the pain of separation.
"Separation!" cried the girl, "But you just said you would not go if I did not." "If you put your mother before me, mayn't I put my profession before you ?" "My dear, don't speak in that tone." "Why, Mathilde," he said, and he sprang up and stood looking down at her from a little distance, "this is the real test.

We have thought we loved each other--" "Thought!" she interrupted.
"But to get engaged with no immediate prospect of marriage, with all our families and friends grouped about, that doesn't mean such a lot, does it ?" "It does to me," she answered almost proudly.
"Now, one of us has to sacrifice something.

I want to go on this expedition.

I want to succeed.