"I consider it to be one. Jennings knows that I am engaged."
"Stop!" she cried, gripping her fan so tightly that her
knuckles grew white. "Do you dare to tell me this?"
"Senora--Maraquito--don't let us have a scene. I told you
before that I could not give you the love you asked."
"And I told you that I would have that love in spite of your
unwillingness," said the woman doggedly. "You have scorned
me, and I ought to have sufficient pride to let you go your
own way. But I am such an infatuated fool that I am content
to let you tread on me."
"I have no wish to do that, but--"
"You do--you do--you do!" she said, vehemently. "Why can
you not love me? I would be a better wife than that doll you--"
"Drop that, Maraquito. Leave Miss Saxon's name out of the
question."
"I shall talk of Miss Saxon as long as I like," cried
Maraquito, snapping the fan and growing flushed. "You scorn
me because I am an invalid--"
"I do not. If you were perfectly restored to health I would
give you the same answer." Mallow was on his feet by this
time. "I think it would be wise of me to go."
But Senora Gredos, stretching out her hand, caught him by the
coat convulsively. "No! no! no!" she muttered fiercely. "I
did not ask you to come here. I did not send for you. But
now that you are here, you will stop. We must understand one
another."
"We do understand one another," said Cuthbert, who was growing
angry at this unreasonable attitude.
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