"No, dearest; no. I have had no better cause, and, indeed, none other. I have come on purpose to see you; and had Mr. Palliser taken you off to Asia or Africa, I think I should have felt myself compelled to follow him. You know why I follow you?"
"Hardly," said she,--not finding at the moment any other word that she could say.
"Because I love you. You see what a plain-spoken John Bull I am, and how I come to the point at once. I want you to be my wife; and they say that perseverance is the best way when a man has such a want as that."
"You ought not to want it," she said, whispering the words as though she were unable to speak them out loud.

"No, dearest; no. I have had no better cause. I have come on purpose to see you; and if Mr. Palliser had taken you off to Africa, I should have felt compelled to follow. You know why?"
"Hardly," said she - not finding any other word to say.
"Because I love you. I want you to be my wife; and they say that perseverance is the best way when a man has such a want as that."
"You ought not to want it," she said, whispering.
