human
Lady Jane, he ventured,
gpt
Of course not,
human
You are very silent. Are you afraid that I am going to attempt to make love to you?
gpt
How can you be so ridiculous!
human
Would it be ridiculous of me?
gpt
Does it occur to you, she asked,
human
I had forgotten that, he admitted, quite frankly.
gpt
Of course, I see the point. I have a wife, even though of her own choosing she does not count.
human
She exists.
gpt
So do I.
human
Now we are both being absurd, she declared,
gpt
she went on,
human
Perhaps it wouldn't be you if you did,
gpt
Perhaps not.
human
And yet, he went on,
gpt
I am not, she admitted frankly.
human
And listen, she went on, after a moment's pause,
gpt
I will show you how much I trust you, how much I really want you to understand me. I am not completely happy because I know perfectly well that it is unnatural to live as I do. If I met the man I could care for and who cared for me, I should prefer to be married. She had commenced her speech with the faintest tinge of colour burning underneath the wholesome sunburn of her cheeks. She had spoken boldly enough, even though towards the end of her sentence her voice had grown very low. When she had finished, however, it seemed as though the memory of her words were haunting her, as though she suddenly realised the nakedness of them. She buried her face in her hands, and he saw her shoulders heave as though she were sobbing. He stood very close and for the first time he touched her. He held the fingers of her hand gently in his.
human
Dear Lady Jane, he begged,
gpt
The fingers he held were gently withdrawn. She drew herself up. Her forehead was wrinkled questioningly. She forced a smile.
human
You would be very foolish, she said,
gpt
And yet--