"Never, never!" He raised his eyebrows.
"Nevertheless you will marry me," he said.
"Why ?" she gasped back furiously.

"Why should I marry you?
You know I hate you, and you--you--surely you must hate me ?" "No," he said with extreme deliberation, "strange as it may seem, I don't." Something in the words quelled her anger.

Abruptly she abandoned the struggle and fell silent, her face averted.
"And so," he proceeded, "we may as well decide upon the wedding-day without further argument." "And, if--if I refuse ?" she murmured rather incoherently.
"You will not refuse," he said with a finality so absolute that her last hope went out like an extinguished candle.
She seized her courage with both hands and turned to him.
"You will give me a little while to think it over ?" "Why ?" said Caryl.
"Because I--I can't possibly decide upon the spur of the moment," she said confusedly.
Was he going to refuse her even this small request?
It almost seemed that he was.
"How long will it take you ?" he asked.

"Will you give me an answer to-night ?" Her heart leapt to a sudden hope called to life by his words.
"To-morrow!" she said quickly.
"I said to-night." "Very well," she rejoined, yielding.

"To-night, if you prefer it." "Thanks.