He repeated in a few words what he had
said, and in a great many what she had answered. Mrs. Tristram listened
with extreme interest.
"But after all," said Newman, "there is nothing to congratulate me upon.
It is not a triumph."
"I beg your pardon," said Mrs. Tristram; "it is a great triumph. It is
a great triumph that she did not silence you at the first word, and
request you never to speak to her again."
"I don't see that," observed Newman.
"Of course you don't; Heaven forbid you should! When I told you to go on
your own way and do what came into your head, I had no idea you would go
over the ground so fast. I never dreamed you would offer yourself after
five or six morning-calls. As yet, what had you done to make her like
you? You had simply sat--not very straight--and stared at her. But she
does like you."
"That remains to be seen."
"No, that is proved. What will come of it remains to be seen. That you
should propose to marry her, without more ado, could never have come
into her head. You can form very little idea of what passed through her
mind as you spoke; if she ever really marries you, the affair will be
characterized by the usual justice of all human beings towards women.
You will think you take generous views of her; but you will never begin
to know through what a strange sea of feeling she passed before she
accepted you.
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