Francis William Lauderdale Adams

“ I crossed over to her, and sat down beside the outstretched arm of the long white-worked frill and the hand of the upheld fingers on the rounded edge of the bed. And I took the hand of the upheld fingers, while her two eyes looked quietly in mine; and bent, and softly kissed her two soft red lips; and she murmured:
'You see, I hadn't to chase you for it, after all!'
'No,' I answered, 'I cheerfully do what the dilly-ducks would not do: I come to be killed. Death's too sweet to be fearful.'
'. . . ”

“ What were we to one another? Not only Rosy to me, and I to Rosy, but each one of us—each one of us humans to each other one? The thought grew broader in me, my eyes still regarding the firelight picture there, but not comprehending it. ”

“ It was the first time I had recognised the fact. She answered nothing: made no motion. A sudden feeling of the cruelty of my experiment seemed to bite me. I had not thought of it in that way: cruelty. I at once began to undo my sewing:
'Well, Rosebud,' said I, taking her two little still hands in mine, 'You little duffer, what are you thinking about?'
At last she looked at me; looked in my eyes long, till I laughed.
'You are a bad man!' she said.
'You do not mean it?' I said saucily. You are a good wom ...' She had in a moment smitten me smartly on the cheek with the palm of her hand! ”

“ She was silently gazing before her. 'Rosy,' I said, 'Rosebud,' rubbing my cheek softly against hers, 'I would do anything, if it were only true, to make you happy. I would marry you tomorrow if it were not for those ... those words that would be so false in my mouth, that I could not utter them. I could not do that. But there are other ways of marrying people, now I think of it. I will find out about them. Then, you see, you would be my wife: I mean, as far as having my name; so that no one could think or say anything against you.' (She was shaking her head.) ”

“ There was a small window halfway up the left-hand wall of the passage, and it looked into the study. I could see that the curtain, that was usually drawn right across the window, was only half drawn. I went and observed what she was doing. She was on her way across the room—to the fire, of course. Down she sat on the hearthrug, and doubtless was staring into the red-ember realm of castles and dreams. Then she looked round: 'Why wasn't he coming?' Then back again at the red-ember realm. ”

“ One thing I am sure about: I don't believe in Jesus. I suppose Jesus and God are one and the same thing, are they not?'
'Yes, Jesus is God.'
'And God is Jesus?'
'Yes.'
'How is that?'
'That's the mystery. We don't know. You ought to have faith, and believe in it.' I looked down. There was absolutely no good in attempting to say anything serious on these matters to her. I looked up again.
'Rosy,' I said, 'I don't like you to think what I can see you do think about my not having married you. I would not marry any woman in the world, however much I loved her. ”

“ I sat down laughing on the ottoman.
'Shall we go to the café by the Français?' I asked, 'You see, my dear, this earth is, after all, rather an odd place to live in; and we humans—or rather, we animals—are really, after all, rather odd things to be living in it ”