Then she saw by his face that he was sober
and that he had actually proposed to her, and, in a kind of
desperation, she laughed.
He had been going to take her arm again, but his hand fell to his side,
and he looked at her with a mixture of astonishment and indignation,
with such an expression of wounded vanity and resentment, that Ida felt
almost forced to laugh again; but she checked the desire, and said, as
gently and humbly as she could:
"I--I beg your pardon, Joseph. I thought it was a--a joke. I am very
sorry. But though you didn't mean it as a jest, it is, of course,
absurd. I don't think you quite know what you were saying; I am quite
sure you don't mean it--"
"Oh, yes, but I do!" he broke in eagerly, and with a little air of
relief. "I'm in earnest, 'pon my word, I am. I'm awfully in love with
you; and if you'll say yes, I'll stand up to the guv'nor and make it
all square for you."
"But I say 'No,'" said Ida, rather sternly, her lips setting tightly,
her eyes flashing in the darkness, which, fortunately for Joseph, hid
them from his sight. "Please do not speak to me in this way again.
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