"You are not eloquent," she said scornfully. "You had better go. Do not
come to the dinner this evening, either. I would rather not see you. You
can easily make an excuse."
Orsino recovered himself suddenly.
"I will not go away now, and I will not give up the dinner to-night," he
said quietly.
"I cannot make you do either--but I can leave you," said Maria Consuelo,
with a movement as though she were about to rise from her chair.
"You will not do that," Orsino answered.
She raised her eyebrows in real or affected surprise at his persistence.
"You seem very sure of yourself," she said. "Do not be so sure of me."
"I am sure that I love you. Nothing else matters." He leaned forward and
took her hand, so quickly that she had not time to prevent him. She
tried to draw it away, but he held it fast.
"Let me go!" she cried. "I will call, if you do not!"
"Call all Rome if you will, to see me ask your forgiveness. Consuelo--do
not be so hard and cruel--if you only knew how I love you, you would be
sorry for me, you would see how I hate myself, how I despise myself for
all this--"
"You might show a little more feeling," she said, making a final effort
to disengage her hand, and then relinquishing the struggle.
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