The faint air of reserve that she seemed to carry with her everywhere, which, coupled with a certain quietness of deportment, appeared to most of the people around to indicate pride, had for these few minutes, at any rate, been lifted.

She had come down from the clouds, and spoken to me as any other woman to any other man.

And now she had wound up by throwing me into a state of hopeless bewilderment.
"Lady Angela," I said, "I think that you owe me some explanation.

If you can assure me that it is in any way against your wishes, if you will give me the shadow of a reason why I should refuse what has not yet been offered to me--well, I will do it.

I will do it even if I must starve." A little forced smile parted her lips.