I am not always sure that you love me as much as
you think you do--you imagine a great deal."
"I did not know it."
"Yes--sometimes. I am sure it is so."
"And how am I to prove that you are wrong and I am right?"
"How should I know? Perhaps time will show."
"Time is too slow for me. There must be some other way."
"Find it then," said Maria Consuelo, smiling rather sadly.
"I will."
He meant what he said, but the difficulty of the problem perplexed him
and there was not enough conviction in his voice. He was thinking rather
of the matter itself than of what he said. Maria Consuelo fanned herself
slowly and stared at the wall.
"If you doubt so much," said Orsino at last, "I have the right to doubt
a little too. If you loved me well enough you would promise to marry me.
You do not."
There was a short pause. At last Maria Consuelo closed her fan, looked
at it and spoke.
"You say my reason is not good. Must I go all over it again? It seems a
good one to me. Is it incredible to you that a woman should love twice?
Such things have happened before.
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