‘Do you think that I would divide you from your
mother?’
‘There need be no question as to that.’
’Ah there you are wrong. There must be
such questions. I should have thought of it sooner.’
‘Clara, you are more to me than my mother.
Ten times more.’ As he said this he came
up and knelt down beside her. ’You are everything
to me. You will not throw me over.’
He was a suppliant indeed, and such supplications
are very potent with women. Men succeed often
by the simple earnestness of their prayers. Women
cannot refuse to give that which is asked for with
so much of the vehemence of true desire. ’Clara,
you have promised to be my wife. You have twice
promised; and can have no right to go back because
you are displeased with what my mother may have said.
I am not responsible for my mother. Clara, say
that you will be my wife.’ As he spoke he
strove to take her hand, and his voice sounded as
though there were in truth something of passion in
his heart.
THERE IS NOTHING TO TELL
Captain Aylmer had never before this knelt to Clara
Amedroz. Such kneeling on the part of lovers
used to be the fashion because lovers in those days
held in higher value than they do now that which they
asked their ladies to give or because they pretended
to do so. The forms at least of supplication
were used; whereas in these wiser days Augustus simply
suggests to Caroline that they two might as well make
fools of themselves together and so the thing is settled
without the need of much prayer. Captain Aylmer’s
engagement had been originally made somewhat after
this fashion. He had not, indeed, spoken of the
thing contemplated as a folly, not being a man given
to little waggeries of that nature; but he had been
calm, unenthusiastic, and reasonable. He bad
not attempted to evince any passion, and would have
been quite content that Clara should believe that
he married as much from obedience to his aunt as from
love for herself, had he not found that Clara would
not take him at all under such a conviction. But
though she had declined to come to him after that
fashion though something more than that had been needed
still she had been won easily, and, therefore, lightly
prized. I fear that it is so with everything that
we value with our horses, our houses, our wines, and,
above all, with our women. Where is the man who
has heart and soul big enough to love a woman with
increased force of passion because she has at once
recognized in him all that she has herself desired?
Captain Aylmer having won his spurs easily, had taken
no care in buckling them, and now found, to his surprise,
that he was like to lose them. He had told himself
that he would only be too glad to shuffle his feet
free of their bondage; but now that they were going
from him, he began to find that they were very necessary
for the road that he was to travel. ‘Clara,’
he said, kneeling by her side,’ you are more
to me than my mother; ten times more!’
