He stopped, for amazement had given place to something else on her face.
She looked at him queerly, as if irresolute for a few seconds; but she no longer shrank from meeting his eyes. And then quite suddenly she broke into her funny little laugh.
"Amusing, is it?" he said.
She turned sharply away, with one hand pressed to her mouth, obviously struggling with herself.
At last:
"Oh, I"m sorry," she said. "I didn"t mean to laugh really--really. Only you--you"re such a monster, and I"m such a shrimp! Please don"t be vexed with me!"
She put out her hand to him, without turning.
He did not take it at once. When he did, he drew her round to face him.
There was an odd restraint about the action, determined though it was.
"Well?" he said gruffly. "Which is it to be? Am I to go to the devil, or stay with you?"
She looked down at the great hand that held her. She was still half laughing, though her lips quivered.
"I couldn"t possibly marry you yet," she said.
"No. To-morrow!" said Mercer.
She shook her head.
"Not even then."
"Listen!" he said. "If you won"t marry me at once you will have to come with me without. For I am going up-country to see my farms, and I don"t mean to leave you here."
"Can"t I wait till you come back?" she said.
"What for?"
He leaned forward a little, trying to peer under her drooping lids. She was trembling slightly.
"I think you forget," she said, "that--that we hardly know each other."
"How are we to get any nearer if I"m up-country and you"re here?" he said.
She looked at him unwillingly.
"You may change your mind when you have had time to think it over," she said, colouring deeply.
"I"ll take the risk," said Mercer. "Besides"--she saw his grim smile for an instant--"I"ve been thinking of nothing else since I met you."
She started a little.
"I--I had no idea."
"No," he said; "I saw that. You needn"t be afraid of me on that account.
It ought to have the opposite effect."
"I am not afraid of you," she said, with a certain dignity. "But I, too, should have time for consideration."
"A woman doesn"t need it," he a.s.serted. "She can make up her mind at a moment"s notice."
"And is often sorry for ever afterwards," she said smiling faintly.
He thrust out his jaw, as if challenging her.
"You think I shall make you sorry?"
"No," she answered. "But I want to be quite sure."
"Which is another reason for marrying me to-morrow," he said. "I"m not going to let you wait. It"s only a whim. You weren"t created to live alone, and there is no reason why you should. I am here, and you will have to take me."
"Whether I want to or not?" she said.
"Don"t you want to?" he questioned.
She was silent.
He lifted the hand he held and looked at it. He spanned her wrist with his finger and thumb.
"That"s reason enough for me," he abruptly said. "You are nothing but skin and bone. You"ve been starving yourself."
"I haven"t," she protested. "I haven"t, indeed."
"I don"t believe you," he retorted rudely. "You weren"t such a skeleton as this when I saw you last. Come, what"s the good of fighting? You"ll have to give in."
She smiled again faintly at the rough persuasion in his voice, but still she hesitated.
"I shan"t eat you, you know," he proceeded, pressing his advantage. "I shan"t do anything you won"t like."
She glanced at him quickly.
"You mean that?"
His eyes looked straight back at her.
"Yes, I mean it."
"Can I trust you?" she said, almost in a whisper.
He rose to his full height, and stood before her. And in that moment an odd little thrill went through her. He was magnificent--the finest man she had ever seen. She caught her breath a little, feeling awed before the immensity of his strength. But, very curiously, she no longer felt afraid.
"You must ask yourself that question," he said bluntly. "You have my word."