After all, it was rather great to be able to be so
sane.
'He says it isn't love he wants,' she replied.
'What is it then?' Hermione was slow and level.
'He wants me really to accept him in marriage.'
Hermione was silent for some time, watching Ursula with slow, pensive
eyes.
'Does he?' she said at length, without expression. Then, rousing, 'And
what is it you don't want? You don't want marriage?'
'No--I don't--not really. I don't want to give the sort of SUBMISSION
he insists on. He wants me to give myself up--and I simply don't feel
that I CAN do it.'
Again there was a long pause, before Hermione replied:
'Not if you don't want to.' Then again there was silence. Hermione
shuddered with a strange desire. Ah, if only he had asked HER to
subserve him, to be his slave! She shuddered with desire.
'You see I can't--'
'But exactly in what does--'
They had both begun at once, they both stopped. Then, Hermione,
assuming priority of speech, resumed as if wearily:
'To what does he want you to submit?'
'He says he wants me to accept him non-emotionally, and finally--I
really don't know what he means.
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