It would be so unfair to you."

"But how would it be unfair? It would be doing the one thing in the
world that I want you to do. It would be giving me the one woman in the
world whom I want for my wife, the only woman I shall ever think of
marrying."

"But you mustn't think of that any more. You see, Mr. Duncan, I am not
fit to be your wife. I should be a terrible drag upon you. You are
already a man of prominence and everybody says you are soon to become a
man of great distinction. You must have a wife worthy of such a man, a
wife who can help him and do him credit in society. Now you know I could
never become that sort of woman. I am only an obscure girl. I don't know
how. I can not talk brilliantly. I couldn't impress people as your wife
must. I am not even educated in any regular way. I've just grown up in
my own fashion--in the shade as it were--and the strong sunlight would
only emphasize my insignificance."

Duncan tried to interrupt, but she quickly cut him short.

"Let me go on, please. You are very generous, and you want to persuade
me that I undervalue myself. You would convince me, if you could, that I
am a great deal worthier than I think myself. I know better. You are
very modest, and you would like to make me believe that you will never
be a much more distinguished man than you are already, but again I know
better. Probably you wouldn't become much more than you are, if you were
to marry me, but that is because I should be a clog upon your life."

"Will you let me say one word at this point, Barbara?" broke in Duncan,
in spite of her effort to prevent.

"You are wronging yourself and you are wronging me. As God lives I tell
you there is no woman in the world so fit to be my wife as you are. My
only wish is that I were worthy to have such a wife! I intend, of
course, to achieve all that I can--to make the best use I can of such
faculties as I possess, but nothing imaginable could so greatly help me
to do that as the inspiration of your love, and the stimulus of knowing
that you were to be always by my side, to share in all the good that
might come to me, to cheer me in disappointment to help me endure, and
above all, to strengthen me for my work in the world by your wise and
loving counsel. For you are a very wise woman, Barbara, though you do
not know it. You look things squarely in the face. You think soundly
because you think with absolute and fearless sincerity. You are shy and
timid, and self-d