. It was impossible to keep up
her indignation. It simply declined to carry her through.

"You--you are a perfect idiot!" she said shakily. And on the words she
tried to laugh, but only succeeded in partially smothering a sob.

"Oh, I say!" said Lord Ronald. He got up awkwardly, and stood behind
her. "Please don't take it to heart," he urged. "I shouldn't have told
you, only--you know--you asked. And it wouldn't make any difference, on
my honour it wouldn't. Won't you take my word for it, and give me a
trial?"

"No," she said.

"Why not?" he persisted. "Don't you think you are rather hard on me? I
shall never take a single inch more than you care to allow."

She turned upon him suddenly. Her cheeks were burning and her eyes were
wet, but she no longer cared about his seeing these details.

"What did you mean?" she demanded unexpectedly, "by saying to me that
those fight hardest who fight in vain?"

He was not in the least disconcerted.

"I meant that though you might send me about my business you would not
quite manage to shake me off altogether."

"Meaning that you would refuse to go?" she asked, with a quiver that
might have been anger in her voice.

"Meaning," he responded quietly, "that though you might deny me
yourself, it might not be in your power to deny me the pleasure of
serving you."

"And is it not in my power?" she asked swiftly.

He was looking at her very intently.

"No," he said in his most deliberate drawl. "I don't think it is."

"But it is," she asserted, meeting his look with blazing eyes. "You
cannot possibly enter my service without my consent. And--and--I am not
going to consent to that mad scheme of yours."

"No?" he said.

"No," she repeated with emphasis. "You yourself are the obstacle, as I
said before. If--if you had not been in love with me, I might have
considered it. But--now--it is out of the question. Moreover," her eyes
shot suddenly downwards, as though to hide their fire, "I shall not want
that sort of protector now."

"No?" he said again, very softly this time. He was standing straight
before her, still closely watching her with that in his eyes that he had
never permitted there before.

"No!" she repeated once more, and again brokenly she laughed; then
suddenly raised her eyes to his, and gave him both her hands
impetuously, confidingly, yet with a certain shyness notwithstanding.
"I--I am going to marry again after all," she said, "if--if you will
have me."