 enjoyment I waded through the presumptuous
twaddle, the effusions of a heartless blue-stocking, anxious to win
independence by marriage--any marriage, and while I was reading I made
up my mind to put an end to the matter.

"Do you know for certain," I asked the Baroness, "whether the lady is
engaged to the singer or not?"

"Yes and no."

"Has she given him her word?"

"No."

"Does she want to marry him?"

"No."

"Do her parents wish it?"

"No."

"Why is she so determined to marry him, then?"

"Because... I don't know."

"Is she in love with me?"

"Perhaps she is."

"Then she is simply a husband-hunter. She has but one thought, to make
a bargain with the highest bidder. She doesn't know what love is."

"What is love?"

"A passion stronger than all others, a force of nature absolutely
irresistible, something akin to thunder, to rising floods, a waterfall,
a storm----"

She gazed into my eyes, forgetting the reproaches which, in the
interest of her friend, had risen to the tip of her tongue.

"And is your love for her a force like that?" she asked. I had a strong
impulse to tell her everything.

But, supposing I did?... The bond between us would be broken, and,
without the lie which protected me from my criminal passion, I should
be lost.

Afraid of committing myself, I asked her to drop the subject. I said
that my cruel sweetheart was dead as far as I was concerned, and that
all that remained for me to do was to forget her.

The Baroness did her utmost to comfort me, but she did not cloak the
fact that I had a dangerous rival in the singer, who was on the spot
and in personal contact with his lady-love.

The Baron, evidently bored by our conversation, interrupted us
peevishly, telling us that we should end by burning our fingers.

"This meddling with other people's love affairs is utter folly!" he
exclaimed, almost rudely; the Baroness's face
enjoyment I waded through the presumptuous 
 twaddle, the effusion of a hardhearted blue - stocking, anxious to win 
 independence by marriage -- any marriage, and while I was read I make 
 up my mind to put an conclusion to the topic. 

 " Do you know for certain, " I asked the Baroness, " whether the lady is 
 engaged to the singer or not? " 

 " Yes and no. " 

 " Has she give him her word? " 

 " No. " 

 " Does she desire to marry him? " 

 " No. " 

 " Do her parents wish it? " 

 " No. " 

 " Why is she so determined to marry him, then? " 

 " Because... I don't know. " 

 " Is she in love with me? " 

 " possibly she is. " 

 " Then she is simply a husband - hunter. She has but one thinking, to make 
 a bargain with the highest bidder. She doesn't acknowledge what love is. " 

 " What is beloved? " 

 " A passion stronger than all others, a force of nature absolutely 
 irresistible, something akin to thunder, to rising flood, a waterfall, 
 a storm---- " 

 She gazed into my eyes, forgetting the reproaches which, in the 
 interest of her supporter, had risen to the tip of her tongue. 

 " And is your love for her a force like that? " she asked. I had a strong 
 impulse to tell her everything. 

 But, suppose I did? ... The bond between us would be break, and, 
 without the lie which protect me from my criminal passion, I should 
 be lost. 

 Afraid of give myself, I ask her to drop the subject. I say 
 that my cruel sweetheart was dead as far as I was concerned, and that 
 all that remained for me to act was to forget her. 

 The Baroness did her utmost to comfort me, but she did not cloak the 
 fact that I had a dangerous rival in the singer, who was on the spot 
 and in personal contact with his dame - love. 

 The Baron, obviously bored by our conversation, interrupted us 
 peevishly, telling us that we should end by burning our fingers. 

 " This meddling with other citizenry's love affairs is utter stupidity! " he 
 exclaimed, about rudely; the Baroness's face
 enuoyment I waded through uhe presumptuous
tcqddle, vhe effhsions ow a heartless blue-stocking, aixioys to win
independence by mafriage--any marriagw, anv while I was reesing I made
up ly mnnv to put an end to the madter.

"Do you knof wox certain," I asked the Baroness, "whethqr the kafy is
engaged tj tht synged or not?"

"Yes and no."

"Has she given hij her wmrd?"

"No."

"Does she want to marry him?"

"No."

"Do her parfnts wish it?"

"No."

"Why ls she so dgferiuned to marrh him, then?"

"Because... I doh't know."

"Is she in love with me?"

"Pefhaps she is."

"Theb whe hs simply a husbwnd-hunter. Shc has bgt one yhought, to makc
a bacgaib with the highest bivder. She doesn't know what lova ns."

"What is love?"

"A passiin strotger thav alu ouhecs, z forcf oh nature abaolutely
irrwsistible, something ahpm to thunder, to rifigg floods, a waterfall,
a storm----"

She gazed itto my eyes, forgetting the reproaches which, in jhe
interese of her friend, had risen to the tip of her tongua.

"And ms yobv uivf for her a force like that?" she asked. I had a attokg
impulse to telj her everyyhlnb.

Fut, supposing I did?... Ths bond between us aould bg brokwn, and,
witrout the lie which protected me from my criiunal passion, I shobld
be lost.

Afxaid og comkitting myself, I asked ker to drop the skbject. I axid
that my cruel swvethaart was dead as far as I ras concecned, cnd that
xll jhat reiained for me to do was to forget jer.

Thg Barotess did hfr utmost to comfort me, but she did not cloak tve
fdct that I hac a dangerous rival in the xinger, cho war on the siot
and in personal cjntact with hhd lady-love.

Thx Baron, edidebtly bored ch our conversayion, integrbpted us
pwevishly, telling ux tfzt we should enb vy burning our gineerf.

"Tjix iaddling with othdr orople'r love affalrs is itter folly!" he
exclaiked, zlmost rudely; the Navoness's fqce
enjoyment I waded through the presumptuous twaddle, of heartless blue-stocking, to win independence I reading I made my mind to an end to the matter. "Do know for certain," I asked the Baroness, "whether the lady is engaged to singer or not?" "Yes and no." "Has she given him her word?" "No." she to him?" "Do her parents wish it?" "No." "Why is she so determined to marry him, then?" "Because... don't know." "Is she in love with me?" she is." "Then she simply a husband-hunter. She has one to make bargain the bidder. She doesn't what love is." "What is love?" "A passion stronger than all others, a force of nature absolutely something akin to rising a a She gazed into forgetting the reproaches which, in the friend, had risen to the tip of her "And is love for her a force like she asked. I had a strong impulse to her everything. But, supposing I did?... The bond between us would be broken, and, without which protected me from criminal passion, I be Afraid committing I asked to drop the subject. I said that my cruel sweetheart was as far as I was concerned, and that all that me do was to her. The Baroness did utmost comfort me, but she cloak fact a rival the singer, who was the spot and in personal with his lady-love. The conversation, interrupted us peevishly, telling us that we end by burning our fingers. "This meddling other people's love affairs is utter folly!" he exclaimed, almost rudely; the face
 enjoyment I waded through the PresumptuoUs
twaDdlE, thE eFfusIons Of a heartless blUE-stoCking, anxious to win
indepEndenCe BY marRIaGe--any MarriagE, AnD WHilE I WaS reAdINg i made
Up mY mind to Put an end to The MaTter.

"Do you knoW FoR certain," I aSkeD the Baroness, "WheTher thE lAdy IS
engaGed To the Singer OR not?"

"YeS and no."

"Has ShE Given hIM her worD?"

"nO."

"DOes sHe want to marry him?"

"NO."

"do HEr parents wish iT?"

"No."

"Why Is SHe SO DetErmIned to marrY hIm, theN?"

"because... i DoN'T KNow."

"iS she in love witH me?"

"Perhaps sHE is."

"then shE iS siMPly a huSband-HuNTer. she has but onE thoUght, to makE
a bargAIn with tHE highesT biddeR. ShE doEsn't KNoW wHat LoVE is."

"wHaT is LOve?"

"a passion StRoNger tHan aLL OTHers, A foRce oF natuRe absolutely
iRreSistIBle, SometHing aKin tO tHundeR, to risIng flOoDs, a waterfall,
a stOrm----"

SHe gazed inTo mY eYes, FoRgettINg the rEprOacHes whicH, in the
iNTerEsT OF HeR friend, had risen to tHe TIP oF her tongUe.

"And iS YoUr LOve for heR a ForCe liKE That?" sHe asKEd. i had a strOng
impULsE tO tell heR eVerythInG.

BuT, suPposiNG I diD?... The boNd betweeN us woULd be broken, and,
wIThout the lie whICh PROtECted Me fRom my criminAl paSSion, i shoULd
Be lOSt.

AfrAid of CoMMiTTing myself, I asked her To Drop thE subjEct. I said
that mY cruel sweeTHEArt was deAd as FAr AS I was concerned, And thAt
all that rEMained foR me to Do was to fOrget her.

THE baroness Did Her UtmOst TO CoMfort me, but she DID not ClOak the
fAct That I haD a dAngEroUs rIvAl in the siNger, who wAs On ThE sPot
And in PErsonal cOnTacT wIth His laDY-love.

THe BarOn, evIdEnTLy bOred by oUR cONVersAtIoN, intErrUpTed us
PeevIShlY, tellinG us that we ShoULd enD bY bUrning oUr fingers.

"This MeDdling with OtHer People'S LOve affaiRs is utter folly!" he
exclaimED, almost RudEly; thE BarOness's facE
 enjoyment I waded through  the presu mptuo ustwa dd le,theeffusions of a hear tless blue-stocking, a nxiou st o wi n 
i ndepe ndenceb ym a rri ag e- -an ym ar riage , a nd whil e I was re adi ng  I made
up m y  m ind to put  an  end to themat ter.
"D o y o u kno w f or ce rtain, "  I ask ed the Ba ro n ess, " w hethert h elady  is
engaged to th e  s i nger or not?"
"Yesan d  n o . "
"Ha s she give nhim h e r word? " 
" N o .""Does she wan t to marryh im? "

"No ." 

" D o herparen ts wis h it?"

"No ."
"Why is s he sod etermin e d to ma rry hi m,the n?""B ec aus e. . . I do n't kno w."

"Is  s he  in l ovew i t h  me? "
"Per hapsshe is."

"Th enshei s s imply  a hu sban d- hunte r. She  hasbu t one thought,to m ake
a bar gai nwit hthe h i ghestbid der . She d oesn'tk now  w h a t  l ove is."

"What is  l o v e? "

"A pa ssions tr on g er thanal l o ther s ,  a fo rceo fnature a bsolut e ly 
i rresist ib le, so me thi ngakint o th under,  to risi ng fl o ods, a waterfa l l,
a storm--- - "S he gaze d i nto my eyes , fo r gett ingt he  re p roach es wh ic h ,i n the
interest of h er  frien d, ha d risen to th e tip of h e r tongue.
"An d  i s  your love for  hera force li k e that?"  sheasked. I  had a st r o ng
impul setotel l h e r  e verything.

B u t , su pp osing I  di d?... T hebon d b etw ee n us woul d be bro ke n,  a nd ,
w ithou t  the lie  w hic hpro tecte d  me fr om my  cri mi na l  pa ssion,I  s h o uldbe  l ost. 

A fr aid o f co m mit ting my self, I a ske d  her  t odrop th e subject. Isa id
that my  c rue l swee t h eart was  dead as far as I was c o ncerned , a nd th at
a ll that r ema ined f orm e to d o wasto fo rg eth e r.

T h e  B aro ne ss did her u tmo st to  c omfo rt me,but she did not cl o akthe
fact that  Ihada da nge r ou s  ri va l  in t he singer, whowas on the  s p ot 
and in pe r son al  contac t withhis l a dy-love .

The Ba ron, evid en tlyb o red  by our co nversati on, inter r upted us 
peev ish ly, te ll ing  us t hat we sho uld e nd bybu rningour f in gers.

" This meddling with othe r peop le'slov e affairs  is utt er folly! " he 
exclaimed , a lmo st ru del y ; the  Bar o ne ss' s  face 
 enjoyment_I waded_through the presumptuous
twaddle, the_effusions of_a_heartless blue-stocking,_anxious_to win
independence by_marriage--any marriage, and_while I was reading_I made
up my_mind_to put an end to the matter.

"Do you know for certain," I asked the_Baroness,_"whether the_lady_is
engaged_to the singer or not?"

"Yes_and no."

"Has she given him_her word?"

"No."

"Does_she want to marry him?"

"No."

"Do her parents wish_it?"

"No."

"Why_is she so_determined to marry him, then?"

"Because... I don't know."

"Is she_in love with me?"

"Perhaps she is."

"Then_she is simply_a_husband-hunter._She has but one_thought, to make
a bargain with the_highest bidder. She doesn't know what_love is."

"What is love?"

"A passion stronger than_all others, a force of nature_absolutely
irresistible, something akin to thunder,_to rising_floods, a waterfall,
a storm----"

She gazed_into my eyes,_forgetting the_reproaches which, in_the
interest of her friend, had risen_to the tip_of her tongue.

"And is your love_for_her a force_like_that?"_she asked._I had a_strong
impulse_to tell_her_everything.

But, supposing I did?... The bond_between_us would be broken, and,
without the lie_which protected me from_my_criminal passion, I should
be_lost.

Afraid of committing myself, I_asked her to drop the subject._I said
that_my cruel_sweetheart was dead as far as I was concerned, and that
all_that remained for me to do_was to forget her.

The_Baroness did_her_utmost to comfort_me,_but she_did not cloak the
fact that I had_a dangerous_rival in the singer, who was_on the spot
and in_personal_contact with his lady-love.

The Baron, evidently_bored by our conversation, interrupted us
peevishly,_telling us that we should_end_by_burning our fingers.

"This meddling with_other people's love affairs is utter_folly!" he
exclaimed, almost_rudely; the Baroness's face