"I can't marry you," she said.
"You don't love me?"
She shook her head.
"Do you like me--the littlest bit?"
This time she nodded, at the same time allowing the smile of
amusement to play on her lips. But it was amusement without
contempt. The humorous side of a situation rarely appealed in
vain to her.
"Well, that's something to go on," he announced. "You've got to
make a start to get started. I just liked you at first, and look
what it's grown into. You recollect, you said you didn't like my
way of life. Well, I've changed it a heap. I ain't gambling
like I used to. I've gone into what you called the legitimate,
making two minutes grow where one grew before, three hundred
thousand folks where only a hundred thousand grew before. And
this time next year there'll be two million eucalyptus growing on
the hills. Say do you like me more than the littlest bit?"
She raised her eyes from her work and looked at him as she
answered:
"I like you a great deal, but--"
He waited a moment for her to complete the sentence, failing
which, he went on himself.
"I haven't an exaggerated opinion of myself, so I know I ain't
bragging when I say I'll make a pretty good husband.
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