E. O no, not all.

MARY. Speak out, sir. I am not afraid.

BRODIE. I suppose you want my consent?

MARY. Can you ask?

BRODIE. I didn't know. You seem to have got on pretty well without it so
far.

MARY. O shame on you! shame on you!

BRODIE. Perhaps you may be able to do without it altogether. I hope so.
For you'll never have it.... Mary! ... I hate to see you look like that.
If I could say anything else, believe me, I would say it. But I have
said all; every word is spoken; there's the end.

MARY. It shall not be the end. You owe me explanation; and I'll have it.

BRODIE. Isn't my "No" enough, Mary?

MARY. It might be enough for me; but it is not, and it cannot be, enough
for him. He has asked me to be his wife; he tells me his happiness is in
my hands--poor hands, but they shall not fail him, if my poor heart
should break! If he has chosen and set his hopes upon me, of all women
in the world, I shall find courage somewhere to be worthy of the choice.
And I dare you to leave this room until you tell me all your
thoughts--until you prove that this is good and right.

BRODIE. Good and right? They are strange words, Mary. I mind the time
when it was good and right to be your father's daughter and your
brother's sister.... Now!...

MARY. Have I changed? Not even in thought. My father, Walter says, shall
live and die with us. He shall only have gained another son. And
you--you know what he thinks of you; you know what I would do for you.

BRODIE. Give him up.

MARY. I have told you: not without a reason.

BRODIE. You must.

MARY. I will not.

BRODIE. What if I told you that you could only compass your happiness
and his at the price of my ruin?

MARY. Your ruin?

BRODIE. Even so.

MARY. Ruin!

BRODIE. It has an ugly sound, has it not?

MARY. O Willie, what have you done? What have you done? What have you
done?

BRODIE. I cannot tell you, Mary. But you may trust me. You must give up
this Leslie ... and at once. It is to save me.

MARY. I would die for you, dear; you know that. But I cannot be false to
him. Even for you, I cannot be false to him.

BRODIE. We shall see. Let me take you to your room. Come. And, remember,
it is for your brother's sake. It is to save me.

MARY. I am a true Brodie. Give me time, and you shall not find me
wanting. But it is all so sudden ... so strange and dreadful! You will
give me time, will you not? I am only a woman, and.... O my poor Walter!
It will break his