The glow went out of her face and the lustre out of her eyes . John Meredith had not the slightest intention of asking her to marry him . And then , quite suddenly , he rose , came across the room , and standing by her chair , he asked it . The room had grown terribly still . Even St. George ceased to purr . Rosemary heard her own heart beating and was sure John Meredith must hear it too . Now was the time for her to say no , gently but firmly . She had been ready for days with her stilted , regretful little formula . And now the words of it had completely vanished from her mind . She had to say no -- and she suddenly found she could not say it . It was the impossible word . She knew now that it was not that she COULD have loved John Meredith , but that she DID love him . The thought of putting him from her life was agony . She must say SOMETHING ; she lifted her bowed golden head and asked him stammeringly to give her a few days for -- for consideration . John Meredith was a little surprised . He was not vainer than any man has a right to be , but he had expected that Rosemary West would say yes . He had been tolerably sure she cared for him . Then why this doubt -- this hesitation ? She was not a school girl to be uncertain as to her own mind . He felt an ugly shock of disappointment and dismay .
But he assented XXXXX her request with his unfailing gentle courtesy and went away at once .
Meredith Rosemary across by for from of than that to