THE CHANGE 227 



the cheek and whispered that she might be 

 enough for me now, but not later on; that 

 she was only a silly girl. Of course I loved 

 her all the more, and thinking of her, 

 could not work much during the day at 

 the tea trade, but wrote books at night 

 feverishly in order to immortalise my love. 

 All that summer we walked among the 

 flowers, and one day I asked her to marry 

 me. She shook her head, and her eyes 

 were wet and sorrowful. 



" * Not yet/ she whispered. 



" * I don't want to marry you now,* I 

 cried, the impetuous, eager fool that I was, 

 * I only want to know if you love me enough 

 to marry me some day. I want to feel that 

 I possess you.' 



" She laughed a little shaky laugh, and 

 I took her close to kiss her; but she drew 

 back slightly, and immediately I felt that 

 I wasn't wanted, and to cover my humiliation 

 I spoke coldly and brutally. Fool that I 

 was ! " he cried bitterly. 



