Saraband for Two Sisters

I went to my room. I did not want to see Carlotta paying him that very special attention she reserved for men. I had come to the conclusion that I had allowed myself to imagine what I wanted to believe and that Richard Tolworthy had no more interest in me than he would in any young girl whom he had rescued from a pair of ruffians, and who had shown some concern because she had heard him challenge someone to a duel. I combed my hair, patting it into shape, hoping that he would ask to see me, but he didn’t.

A few days later he called again. This time I was alone, and he asked if I would see him and I received him in the parlor.

“I have to confess a little duplicity,” he told me. “I learned that Sir Gervaise and his lady would not be at home today. So I called in the hope that you would be.»

“You ... wanted to see me, then?”

I felt as though the sun had suddenly burst forth and was shining more brilliantly than it did in the summer and that the entire universe was singing with joy. “I wanted to talk to you rather specially.”

“Yes?” I asked breathlessly.

“Pray sit down,” he said. I sat on the window seat and folded my hands in my lap. I dared not look at him in case I should betray my feelings and that I had misconstrued his words and would betray myself.

“I think,” he said, “that we have become good friends. Do you agree?”

“Oh, I do. Indeed I do.”

“You exaggerated what I did on my first meeting. It was no more than any man would have done.”

“I shall never forget that you risked your life for me.”

“Oh, you must look at life rationally. Villains like that are always cowards. They attack women and children. Moreover, I was armed and I assure you I ran no risk.

But what I was saying was that we have become friends. I have hesitated over this, and perhaps I should have been wise to hesitate still further. You are very young, Angelet I may use your Christian name?”

“Please do. I like you to.”

“It is a charming name and may I say it suits you.”

 “Oh, please, you must not have too good an opinion of me. I shall never live up to it-“ I stopped short. I had made it sound as though we would be together. I was blushing hotly.

He ignored my outburst and said, “How old are you, Angelet?”

“I shall be eighteen in June.”

He sighed. “That is very young. Do you know how old I am?”

“I hadn’t thought of age in connection with you.”

“What a charming thing to say! It is good, too, because I am considerably older than you are. I shall be thirty-four years of age in September. You see there is a great difference in our ages.”

“Does that matter with ... friends?”

“It is a question I have been asking myself these last weeks. Perhaps I should not have spoken to you yet.”

“I am sure it is always better to say what is in one’s mind.”

“I have made up mine to ask you to many me.”

“Oh!” I could say no more. I felt my whole body tingling with delight It had really happened then. I had not been wrong. I said to myself, “Oh, Bersaba, I am going to be married. Think of it! I am going to be married to a General in the King’s Army, the most wonderful, most gallant man in the world.”

Bersaba had once said, “I wonder which of us will marry first?” and Bersaba had wanted to be the first. She always wanted to be the first in everything and somehow I had wanted her to, for it had seemed her right.

But this was different. More than anything I wanted to marry Richard Tolworthy. “Yes,” he said, “you are startled. You are wondering how I, who am so old, can dare suggest such a thing to you who are not yet eighteen. That’s what you mean, is it not?”

I laughed-strange, rather hysterical laughter it sounded. I could never be clever as Bersaba was and I tried fleetingly to imagine what she would say in these circumstances. But what was the use? I was myself, not Bersaba, and I had never been able to say anything but that which first came into my head.

“I mean nothing of the sort,” I cried. “I mean only that I am so happy that you asked me. I have been so immodest. I thought perhaps you were interested in me and I let myself dream that you wanted to marry me and... I just could not have borne it if you hadn’t” He came toward me then and I stood up. I expected him to take me into his arms and hold me tightly. But he did not. He took my hand and kissed it as he might have done if we had just been introduced at a ball “You are a dear child,” he said, “but impetuous. Can you really mean this?»

“With all my heart,” I said.

He pushed me back gently onto the window seat and sat in a chair some distance from me.

“You must not make a hasty decision, my dear.”

“I don’t understand you. Were you hoping I would say no?”

He smiled at me. “I asked you because I hoped you would say yes. But you are young.”

“That,” I said rather tritely, “will in due course be remedied.”

“But as you grow older so shall I. You must listen to what I have to say very carefully.

When you are twenty-four years of age I shall be forty. Think of that.”

“It seems good arithmetic to me.” I was growing frivolous in my happiness.