human
I thought you had left me, Sir Max,
gpt
I promised you I would not go, he responded,
human
I was angry when I heard you had left the inn, she said,
gpt
I grant the remission gladly, answered Max.
human
There was flattery in your anger.
gpt
I think women have the harder part of life in everything. I again ask you to promise me that you will not leave Peronne within a month.
human
I cannot promise you that, Fräulein,
gpt
You will some day--soon, perhaps--know my reasons, said Yolanda,
human
I cannot promise,
gpt
I offer you another inducement, one that will overmatch the small weight of my poor wishes. I promise to bring you to meet this Mary of Burgundy whom you came to woo. I cannot present you, but I will see that Twonette brings about the meeting. I tell you, as I have already told Sir Karl, that it is said I resemble this princess, so you must not mistake her for me.
human
I did not come to woo her, answered Max,
gpt
Why do you not wish to meet her?
human
Because I have met you, Fräulein. You should not lead me to speak such words.
gpt
There can be no harm, Max. If you knew all,--if I could tell you all,--you would understand. The words can harm neither of us. She hesitated and, with drooping head, continued:
human
And they are to me as the sun and the south wind to the flowers and the corn. You already know all that is in my heart, or I would not speak so plainly. In all my life I have known little of the sweet touch of human sympathy and love, and, Max, my poor heart yearns for them until at times I feel like the flowers without the sun and the corn without the rain,--as if I will die for lack of them. I am almost tempted to tell you all.
gpt
Tell me all, Yolanda, entreated Max,
human
I have known it since the first day I saw you at Basel,
gpt
I have felt sure at times that you did, responded Max,
human
Please don't ask me now. I will tell you soon, but not now, not now. Be patient with me. I do pity you. I do, I do. If we could help each other--but we cannot, and there is no use longing for it. I sometimes fear that your attitude is the right one, and that it is best that we should part and meet no more.
gpt
Let us not speak of that now, he said.
human
The parting will come soon enough. You will surely deem me cold and unworthy, Fräulein, but you cannot understand. One may not call a man hard and selfish who plucks out his eye for the sake of a God-imposed duty, or who deliberately thrusts away happiness and accepts a life of misery and heartache because of the chains with which God bound him at his birth.
gpt
Ah, I do understand, Max; I understand only too well,