All taken together , what wonder if David lost his head over that tea-table and determined to ask Josephine the same old question once more ? It was eighteen years since he had asked it for the first time , and two years since the last . He would try his luck again ; Josephine was certainly more gracious than he remembered her to ever have been before . When the meal was over Josephine cleared the table and washed the dishes . When she had taken a dry towel and sat down by the window to polish her china David understood that his opportunity had come . He moved over and sat down beside her on the sofa by the window . Outside the sun was setting in a magnificent arch of light and colour over the snow-clad hills and deep blue St. Lawrence gulf . David grasped at the sunset as an introductory factor . `` Is n't that fine , Josephine ? '' he said admiringly . `` It makes me think of that piece of poetry that used to be in the old Fifth Reader when we went to school . D'ye mind how the teacher used to drill us up in it on Friday afternoons ? It begun ` Slow sinks more lovely ere his race is run Along Morea 's hills the setting sun . ' '' Then David declaimed the whole passage in a sing-song tone , accompanied by a few crude gestures recalled from long-ago school-boy elocution . Josephine knew what was coming . Every time David proposed to her he had begun by reciting poetry . She twirled her towel around the last plate resignedly . If it had to come , the sooner it was over the better . Josephine knew by experience that there was no heading David off , despite his shyness , when he had once got along as far as the poetry . `` But it 's going to be for the last time , '' she said determinedly .
`` I 'm going to settle this question so decidedly to-night XXXXX there 'll never be a repetition . ''
Along around beside by if of on since than that