"Of course he must come if he will," she said to herself when she received his note. "It can make no matter. He will say nothing half so hard to me as what I say to myself all day long." But when the morning came, and the hour came, and the knock at the door for which her ears were on the alert, her heart misgave her, and she felt that the present moment of her punishment, though not the heaviest, would still be hard to bear.
He came slowly up-stairs,--his step was ever slow,--and gently opened the door for himself. Then, before he even looked at her, he closed it again. I do not know how to explain that it was so; but it was this perfect command of himself at all seasons which had in part made Alice afraid of him, and drove her to believe that they were not fitted for each other. She, when he thus turned for a moment from her, and then walked slowly towards her, stood with both her hands leaning on the centre table of the room, and with her eyes fixed upon its surface.
"Alice," he said, walking up to her very slowly.

"Of course he must come if he wishes," she said to herself when she received his note. "It can make no difference. He will say nothing half so hard to me as what I say to myself all day long." But when the morning came, and she heard the knock, her heart misgave her, and she felt that this moment of her punishment would be hard to bear.
He came slowly upstairs - his step was always slow - and gently opened the door for himself. Then, before he even looked at her, he closed it again. It was this perfect command of himself at all times which had in part made Alice afraid of him, and drove her to believe that they were not fitted for each other. She stood with both her hands leaning on the centre table of the room, and with her eyes fixed upon its surface.
"Alice," he said, walking up to her very slowly.
