“Come in,” he said to Hilda at last, and closed the door behind her,cheap nike shox shoes. He pointed to a chair by the fire and went back to his worktable. “Won’t you sit down?”
He was standing behind the table, turning over a pile of blueprints nervously. The yellow light from the student’s lamp fell on his hands and the purple sleeves of his velvet smoking-jacket, but his flushed face and big, hard head were in the shadow. There was something about him that made Hilda wish herself at her hotel again, in the street below, anywhere but where she was.
“Of course I know, Bartley,” she said at last, “that after this you won’t owe me the least consideration. But we sail on Tuesday. I saw that interview in the paper yesterday, telling where you were, and I thought I had to see you. That’s all. Good-night; I’m going now.” She turned and her hand closed on the door-knob.
Alexander hurried toward her and took her gently by the arm. “Sit down, Hilda; you’re wet through. Let me take off your coat — and your boots; they’re oozing water.” He knelt down and began to unlace her shoes, while Hilda shrank into the chair. “Here, put your feet on this stool. You don’t mean to say you walked down — and without overshoes!”
Hilda hid her face in her hands. “I was afraid to take a cab. Can’t you see, Bartley, that I’m terribly frightened? I’ve been through this a hundred times today. Don’t be any more angry than you can help,fake uggs. I was all right until I knew you were in town. If you’d sent me a note, or telephoned me, or anything! But you won’t let me write to you, and I had to see you after that letter,nike free run 3 women, that terrible letter you wrote me when you got home.”
Alexander faced her, resting his arm on the mantel behind him, and began to brush the sleeve of his jacket. “Is this the way you mean to answer it, Hilda?” he asked unsteadily.
She was afraid to look up at him. “Didn’t — didn’t you mean even to say goodby to me, Bartley? Did you mean just to — quit me?” she asked. “I came to tell you that I’m willing to do as you asked me. But it’s no use talking about that now. Give me my things, please.” She put her hand out toward the fender.
Alexander sat down on the arm of her chair. “Did you think I had forgotten you were in town, Hilda? Do you think I kept away by accident? Did you suppose I didn’t know you were sailing on Tuesday? There is a letter for you there, in my desk drawer. It was to have reached you on the steamer. I was all the morning writing it. I told myself that if I were really thinking of you, and not of myself, a letter would be better than nothing. Marks on paper mean something to you.” He paused. “They never did to me.”
Hilda smiled up at him beautifully and put her hand on his sleeve. “Oh, Bartley! Did you write to me? Why didn’t you telephone me to let me know that you had? Then I wouldn’t have come.”
Alexander slipped his arm about her. “I didn’t know it before, Hilda, on my honor I didn’t, but I believe it was because, deep down in me somewhere, I was hoping I might drive you to do just this. I’ve watched that door all day. I’ve jumped up if the fire crackled. I think I have felt that you were coming.” He bent his face over her hair.
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