"Bridget, I believe you were really fond of
that man."
"Do you know, Luke, I believe I was."
Luke looked out of the window. "I'll be
glad to get away from Wychwood. I don't
like this place. There's a lot of wickedness
here, as Mrs. Humbleby would say. I don't
like the way Ashe Ridge broods over the
village."
"Talking of Ashe Ridge, what about
Ellsworthy?"
Luke laughed a little shamefacedly. "That
blood on his hands?"
"Yes."
"They'd sacrificed a white cock, apparently."
"How perfectly disgusting!"
"I think something unpleasant is going to
happen to our Mr. Ellsworthy. Battle is planning
a little surprise."
Bridget said, "And poor Major Horton
never even attempted to kill his wife, and
Mr. Abbot, I suppose, just had a compromising
letter from a lady, and Doctor Thomas
is just a nice unassuming young doctor."
"He's a superior ass."
"You say that because you're jealous of his
marrying Rose Humbleby."
"She's much too good for him."
"I always have felt you liked that girl better
then me."
"Darling, aren't you being rather absurd?"
"No, not really." She was silent a minute, and then said, "Luke, do you like me now?"
He made a movement toward her, but she
warded him off. "I said 'like,' Luke; not 'love.' "
"Oh, I see. Yes, I do. I like you, Bridget, as well as loving you."
Bridget said, "I like you, Luke." They
smiled at each other a little timidly, like
children who have made friends at a party.
Bridget said, "Liking is more important than
loving. It lasts. I want what is between us to
last, Luke. I don't want us just to love each
other and marry and get tired of each other, and then want to marry someone else."
"Oh, my dear love, I know. You want
reality. So do I. What's between us will last
forever, because it's founded on reality."
"Is that true, Luke?"
"It's true, my sweet. That's why, I think, I was afraid of loving you."
"I was afraid of loving you too."
"Are you afraid now?"
298
"No."
He said, "We've been close to death for a
long time. Now that's over! Now we'll begin
to live."
299
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