FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153  
154   155   156   >>  
ing person would know. I'm _not_ a self-respecting person." Her wandering gaze seems to fall for the first time upon the tray with the cocktails and glasses and cigarettes; she flies at the bell-button and presses it impetuously. As the maid appears: "Take these things away, Nora, please!" To Ashley when the maid has left the room: "Don't be afraid to say what you think of me!" _Ashley_: "I think all the world of you. But I should merely like to ask--" _Miss Ramsey_: "Oh, you can ask anything of me now!" _Ashley_, with palpable insincerity: "I should like to ask why you don't respect yourself?" _Miss Ramsey_: "Was that what you were going to ask? I know it wasn't. But I will tell you. Because I have been a fool." _Ashley_: "Thank you. Now I will tell you what I was really going to ask. Why did you wish to drive me back to Miss Fray when you knew that I would be false to her a thousand times if I could only once be true to you?" _Miss Ramsey_: "Now you _are_ insulting me! And that is just the point. You may be a very clever lawyer, Mr. Ashley, and everybody says you are--very able, and talented, and all that, but you can't get round that point. You may torture any meaning you please out of my words, but I shall always say you brought it on yourself." _Ashley_: "Brought what on?" _Miss Ramsey_: "Mr. Ashley! I won't be cross-questioned." _Ashley_: "Was that why you smoked, and poured cocktails out of an unopened bottle? Was it because you wished me to hate you, and remember my duty, and go back to Miss Fray? Well, it was a dead failure. It made me love you more than ever. I am a fool too, as you call it." _Miss Ramsey_: "Say anything you please. I have given you the right. I shall not resent it. Go on." _Ashley_: "I should only repeat myself. You must have known how much I care for you, Isobel. Do you mind my calling you Isobel?" _Miss Ramsey_: "Not in the least if you wish to humiliate me by it. I should like you to trample on me in every way you can." _Ashley_: "Trample on you? I would rather be run over by a steam-roller than tread on the least of your outlying feelings, dearest. Do you mind my saying dearest?" _Miss Ramsey_: "I have told you that you can say anything you like. I deserve it. But oh, if you have a spark of pity--" _Ashley_: "I'm a perfect conflagration of compassion, darling. Do you object to darling?" _Miss Ramsey_, with starting tears: "It doesn't matter now." She
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153  
154   155   156   >>  



Top keywords:
Ashley
 

Ramsey

 

Isobel

 

darling

 

dearest

 
person
 
cocktails
 

resent

 
repeat
 

wished


remember

 

bottle

 
poured
 

unopened

 
wandering
 

failure

 
calling
 
perfect
 

deserve

 

feelings


conflagration

 

compassion

 

matter

 

starting

 

object

 

outlying

 

humiliate

 

trample

 

smoked

 

respecting


roller

 
Trample
 

Brought

 

impetuously

 

presses

 
appears
 

Because

 
button
 

palpable

 
afraid

insincerity
 

things

 
respect
 
thousand
 

torture

 

meaning

 
talented
 

brought

 
insulting
 

clever