I seem almost a stranger to you, perhaps ?" "Almost," she answered, looking at him with clear truthful eyes.
"That is rather hard upon me, my dear.

But I can wait.

You do not know how patient I can be." He began to talk of indifferent subjects after this, a little depressed and disheartened by the course the interview had taken.

He felt that he had been too precipitate.

What was there in a fortnight's intimacy to justify such a step, except to himself, with whom time had been measured by a different standard since he had known Marian Nowell?
He was angry with his own eagerness, which had brought upon him this semi-defeat.
Happily Miss Nowell had not told him that his case was hopeless, had not forbidden him to approach the subject again; nor had she exhibited any involuntary sign of aversion to him.