I got up and went over to her . `` Betty , whom do you love ? '' I asked , also in a whisper . `` You , '' she murmured meekly -- oh , so meekly , my proud little girl ! `` Betty , '' I said brokenly , `` I 'm old -- too old for you -- I 'm more than twenty years your senior -- I 'm -- '' `` Oh ! '' Betty wheeled around on me and stamped her foot . `` Do n't mention your age to me again . I do n't care if you 're as old as Methuselah . But I 'm not going to coax you to marry me , sir ! If you wo n't , I 'll never marry anybody -- I 'll live and die an old maid . You can please yourself , of course ! '' She turned away , half-laughing , half-crying ; but I caught her in my arms and crushed her sweet lips against mine . `` Betty , I 'm the happiest man in the world -- and I was the most miserable when I came here . '' `` You deserved to be , '' said Betty cruelly . `` I 'm glad you were . Any man as stupid as you deserves to be unhappy . What do you think I felt like , loving you with all my heart , and seeing you simply throwing me at another man 's head . Why , I 've always loved you , Stephen ; but I did n't know it until I went to that detestable school . Then I found out -- and I thought that was why you had sent me . But , when I came home , you almost broke my heart .
That was why I flirted so with all those poor , nice boys -- I wanted XXXXX hurt you but I never thought I succeeded .
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