human
Cruel girl! You know your power, and thus you use it. Oh, Petronilla! my beautiful one! have I nothing left to hope for?
gpt
That's a question I can't take it upon myself to answer, said Pet.
human
There's your next quarter's salary, though, you can hope for that.
gpt
Is that meant as a taunt? Oh, Petronilla! you little know how deeply, how devotedly I love you! I could give my life to make you happy.
human
Thanky, Mr. Garnet--shows a highly Christian spirit in you: but, at the same time, I guess I won't mind it. As to your loving me, I have not the slightest doubt about it. I'm such an angel in female form that I don't see how people can help loving me, any more than they can help the toothache. So you needn't go telling me over again you love me, because you've said it two or three times already; and the most interesting things get tiresome, you know, when repeated too often.
gpt
Capricious, beautiful fairy! how shall I win you to seriousness? Fairest Petronilla, I would serve for this little hand even as Jacob served for Rachel!
human
Mr. Garnet, it's real polite of you to say so, but you'll excuse me for saying I'd a good deal rather you wouldn't. You've been here six years now, and if I thought I was to undergo six more like them, I'd take the first bar of soft-soap I could find and put an immediate end to my melancholy existence.
gpt
Mocking still! Oh, beautiful Petronilla! how shall I reach this willful heart?
human
There's no heart there, Mr. Garnet; it took a trip to the fast city of Gotham three years ago, and hasn't come back since.
gpt
With Raymond Germaine?
human
Ex-actly; you've struck the right thing in the middle--hit the nail straight on the head--jumped, with your accustomed sagacity, at my exact meaning. After all, you're not half so stupid as you look, Mr. Garnet.
gpt
Miss Lawless, he broke out, angrily,
human
Mr. Garnet, look here, said Pet:
gpt
Miss Lawless!
human
Perhaps, though, said Pet, in a musing tone,
gpt
Once for all, Miss Lawless, he exclaimed, stifling his impotent rage, and striding fiercely up to her--
human
Well, upon my word, Mr. Rozzel Garnet, said Pet, confusedly,
gpt
Miss Lawless, forgive me; I'm half-mad, and scarce know what I said.
human
I forgive you, said Pet, stretching out her hands as if about to warm them;
gpt
Miss Lawless, I _did_ think you were too much of a lady to despise and scoff at true affection thus. If I have the misfortune to be poor, that does not make me the less sensitive to insult.
human
Now, Mr. Garnet, look here, said Pet, rising.
gpt
I'm getting tired of this scene, and may as well bring it to an end at once. Your love I fully understand; you have several reasons for loving me--several thousands, in fact, but we won't speak of them. As to insulting you, I flatly deny it; and if you think I have done so, just refer me to a friend, and I'll fight a duel about it to-morrow. Scoffing at true affection is another thing I'm not in the habit of doing, neither in despising people for being poor; you know both these things as well as I do. But, Mr. Garnet, I wouldn't marry you if you were the last man in the world, and I was to go to my grave a forlorn, hatchet-faced old maid for refusing you. If it's any consolation to you to know it, I wouldn't marry you to save your neck from the hangman--your soul from you know who--or your goods and chattels, personal, from being turned, neck and crop, into the street. Now, there!