human
There have been times-- she began, a trace of eagerness in her voice,
gpt
She did not complete the sentence; instead, as if in a sudden panic over the nearness of unmaidenly revelations, she somewhat breathlessly began all over again:
human
I guess it must have been a--a warning, or something.
gpt
They say there is such a thing as a magnetic current between human beings, he said.
human
It was that, Viola. You felt my love laying hold upon you, touching you, caressing you.
gpt
The other night, when you held me so close to you, I--I couldn't think of you as my brother.
human
You love each other, she said.
gpt
There is no use trying to explain or account for your feelings. The day you came here, Kenneth Gwynne, I saw the handwriting on the wall. I knew that this would happen. It was as certain as the rising of the sun. It would have been as useless for me to attempt to stop the rising sun as to try to keep you two from falling in love with each other. It was so written long ago.
human
But, mother, I am not sure,--how can you say that I am in love with him when I don't know it myself?
gpt
When you came, Kenneth, I knew that my days were numbered, went on the older woman, leaning forward in her chair.
human
The truth would have to come out. A force I could not stand up against had entered the field. For want of a better word we will call it Fate. It is useless to fight against Fate. If I had never told you two the truth about yourselves, you would have found it out anyway. You would have found it out in the touch of your hands, in the leap of the blood, in the strange, mysterious desire of the flesh over which the soul has no control. You began loving him, Viola,--without knowing it,--that night at Phineas Striker's. You--
gpt
How can you say such a thing, mother? cried Viola hotly.
human
I was in love with Barry Lapelle at that--
gpt
You were never in love with Barry,
human
I think I ought to know when I am in love and when I am not!
gpt
Be that as it may, you now know that you were never in love with him,--so it comes to the same thing.
human
I--I wish I could believe that. I wish I knew that you are not thinking of him now, Viola, and wanting him back in spite of all he has done.
gpt
I am going in the house, she said haughtily.
human
Neither of you seems to think I have a grain of sense. First mother says I am in love with you without knowing it, and now you are wondering if I am in love with Barry without knowing it, I suppose. Don't you give me credit for having a mind of my own? And, mother, I've just got to say it, even if it is insolent,--I will be very much obliged to you if you will allow me to make up my own mind about Kenny. It is not for you or anybody else to say I am in love with him.
gpt
Oh, don't go away angry, Viola, cried Kenneth, distressed.
human
Let's forget all we've said and--
gpt
I don't want to forget all we've said, she exclaimed, stamping her foot.
human
How dare you come over here and tell me you love me and then ask me to forget--Oh, if that's all it amounts to with you, Kenneth, I dare say I can make up my mind right now. I--
gpt
You will find, Kenneth, broke in her mother drily,
human
I guess he has found that out before this, said Viola, from the doorstep.
gpt
He has had a taste of it. If he doesn't like--
human
I am used to tempers, said he, now lightly.
gpt
I have a devil of a temper myself.
human
I don't believe it, she cried.
gpt
You've got the kindest, sweetest, gentlest nature I've ever--
human
Come and sit down, Viola, interrupted her mother, arising.
gpt
I am going in the house myself.
human
You needn't, mother. I am going to bed. Good night, Kenny.
gpt
I came to say good-bye,