human
Yes, Mr. Ferguson said grimly;
gpt
Damn him? said David, and burst into a scream of laughter. He was on his feet now, but he rocked a little on his shaking legs.
human
Damnation is too good for him; may God--
gpt
David--David, he stammered, actually recoiling before that storm of words.
human
David, he will get what he deserves. She was worthless! David stopped short. At the mention of Elizabeth, his hurricane of rage dropped suddenly into the flat calm of absolute bewilderment.
gpt
Do not speak of Elizabeth in that way, in my presence,
human
She is her mother's daughter! She is bad, through and through. She--
gpt
Stop! David cried, violently;
human
What--what are we to do?
gpt
Do? There is nothing to do, that I can see.
human
She must be taken away from him!
gpt
Nobody knows where they are. But if I did know, I wouldn't lift my hand to get her away. She has made her bed--she can lie in it, so far as I am concerned.
human
But she didn't! David groaned;
gpt
What are you talking about?
human
I did it.
gpt
My dear fellow, what is the use of denying facts? You can't make black white, can you? Day before yesterday you loved this--this, he seemed to search for some epithet; glanced at David, and said, almost meekly:
human
Yes, David said, in a smothered voice,
gpt
I have. Then he handed back to the shamed and angry man the poor, pitiful little letter.
human
Don't you see? She says, 'David didn't want' --he broke off, unable to speak. A moment later he added,
gpt
What is that nonsense about your not wanting her?
human
She thought so. She had reason to think so.
gpt
You had better explain yourself, David.
human
She wrote to me, David said, after a pause;
gpt
He reddened to his temples.
human
She asked me to marry her that day; _asked_ me, you understand. He turned on his heel and went over to the window; he stood there for some minutes with his back to Robert Ferguson. The green door in the wall between the two gardens was swinging back and forth on sagging hinges; David watched it with unseeing eyes; suddenly a sooty pigeon came circling down and lit just inside the old arbor, which was choked with snow shovelled from the flagstones of the path. Who can say why, watching the pigeon's teetering walk on the soot-specked snow, David should smell the fragrance of heliotrope hot in the sunshine, and see Elizabeth drawing Blair's ring from her soft young bosom? He turned back to her uncle, with a rigid face:
gpt
Well, _I--I_ said--'no' to her letter. Do you understand? I told her 'no.' '_No_,' to a girl like Elizabeth! Because, in my--my filthy pride-- he paused, picked up a book, turned it over and over, and then put it straight edge to edge with the table. His hand was trembling violently. When he could speak again it was in a whisper.
human
My cursed pride. I didn't want to marry until I could do everything. I wasn't willing to be under obligations; I told her so. I said--'no.' It made her angry. It would make any girl angry,--but Elizabeth! Why, she used to bite herself when she was angry. When she is angry, she will do--anything. _She has done it._ My God!