What right had he, dull, useless, lumbering,
squiredomless squire, to ask a woman like Viviette to marry him? How
could he support a wife? As it was, he lived a pensioner on Austin's
bounty. Could he ask Austin to feed his wife and family as well? This
thought, which always came to him as soon as his passion was checked,
filled him with deep humiliation. Viviette had reason on her side when
she said, "Let us talk sense."
He glowered at his fate, and tugged his tawny moustache for some time in
silence. Then Viviette began to talk to him prettily of things that
made up his country interests, his dogs, the garden, the personalities
of the country-side. Soon she had him laughing, which pleased and
flattered her, as it proved her power over the primitive man. Indeed, at
such moments, she felt very tenderly towards him, and would have liked
to pat his cheeks and crown him with flowers, thus manifesting her
favour by dainty caresses. But she refrained, knowing that primitive men
are too dense to interpret such demonstrations rightly, and limited
herself to less compromising words.
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