human
Dear Stephen, reiterated Mary,
gpt
I love you. I do, clearly, definitely, deliberately love you. Haven't I told you that? Haven't I made that plain to you?
human
But you are going to marry Justin!
gpt
Stephen dear, can I possibly marry you? Can I?
human
Why not? Why not make the adventure of life with me? Dare!
gpt
Why not? I cried.
human
Even now. Why not run away with me, throw our two lives together? Do as lovers have dared to do since the beginning of things! Let us go somewhere together----
gpt
But Stephen, she asked softly,
human
Anywhere!
gpt
No! tell me where--exactly. Where would it be? Where should we go? How should we live? Tell me. Make me see it, Stephen.
human
You are too cruel to me, Mary, I said.
gpt
How can I--on the spur of the moment--arrange----?
human
But dear, suppose it was somewhere very grimy and narrow! Something--like some of those back streets I came through to get here. Suppose it was some dreadful place. And you had no money. And we were both worried and miserable. One gets ill in such places. If I loved you, Stephen--I mean if you and I--if you and I were to be together, I should want it to be in sunshine, I should want it to be among beautiful forests and mountains. Somewhere very beautiful....
gpt
Why not?
human
Because--to-day I know. There are no such places in the world for us. Stephen, they are dreams.
gpt
Oh! I cried out, stung by my own words,
human
--I still remember my impotent phrase--
gpt
If I were a queen, said Mary.
human
But you see I am not a queen.
gpt
At least, I urged,
human
Dear Stephen, she explained,
gpt
But you will be Justin's--squaw, you are going to marry him!
human
That is all different, Stevenage. Between him and me there will be space, air, dignity, endless servants----
gpt
But, I choked.
human
You! He! He will make love to you, Mary.
gpt
You don't understand, Stephen.
human
He will make love to you, Mary. Mary! don't you understand? These things---- We've never talked of them.... You will bear him children!
gpt
No,
human
But----
gpt
No. He promises. Stephen,--I am to own myself.
human
But--He marries you!
gpt
Yes. Because he--he admires me. He cannot live without me. He loves my company. He loves to be seen with me. He wants me with him to enjoy all the things he has. Can't you understand, Stephen?
human
But do you mean----?
gpt
Stephen, she said,
human
I swear.
gpt
But---- He hopes.
human
I don't care. He has promised. I have his promise. I shall be free. Oh! I shall be free--free! He is a different man from you, Stephen. He isn't so fierce; he isn't so greedy.
gpt
But it parts us!
human
Only from impossible things.
gpt
It parts us.
human
It does not even part us, Stevenage. We shall see one another! we shall talk to one another.
gpt
I shall lose you.
human
I shall keep you.
gpt
But I--do you expect me to be content with _this_?
human
I will make you content. Oh! Stephen dear, can't there be love--love without this clutching, this gripping, this carrying off?
gpt
You will be carried altogether out of my world.
human
If I thought that, Stephen, indeed I would not marry him.