"I care a little, but not enough to break my rest," replied the young
man languidly. "No, all that's past. I find there are two flowers where
I thought there was only one. Perhaps there are three, or four, or any
number as good as the first....Mine is a curious fate. Who would have
thought that all this could happen to me?"

She interrupted with a suppressed fire of which either love or anger
seemed an equally possible issue, "Do you love me now?"

"Who can say?"

"Tell me; I will know it!"

"I do, and I do not," said he mischievously. "That is, I have my times
and my seasons. One moment you are too tall, another moment you are too
do-nothing, another too melancholy, another too dark, another I don't
know what, except--that you are not the whole world to me that you used
to be, my dear. But you are a pleasant lady to know and nice to meet,
and I dare say as sweet as ever--almost."

Eustacia was silent, and she turned from him, till she said, in a voice
of suspended mightiness, "I am for a walk, and this is my way."

"Well, I can do worse than follow you."

"You know you can't do otherwise, for all your moods and changes!" she
answered defiantly. "Say what you will; try as you may; keep away from
me all that you can--you will never forget me. You will love me all your
life long. You would jump to marry me!"