'Hilda will neither accept your fortune, nor forget you--though it
would be better, perhaps, if you could pass out of her memory.'
Greif could not see her face which was hidden by the hood she wore,
without leaning forward, but her words and her tone surprised him. He
had been very far from supposing that he should offend her by making
such a proposal or by hinting that Hilda might marry happily at some
future time. The emotion he had felt had probably made his voice sound
harshly, and after all, he had perhaps shown little delicacy in
speaking of the money, but he was quite unprepared for his companion's
freezing answer. With Greif, however, it was impossible that any
misunderstanding should last long, for he was too honest and frank to
submit to being misunderstood himself.
'I do not know what you thought that I meant,' he said, turning towards
her. 'But you would not be angry if I had explained myself better.'
Frau von Sigmundskron gave him no assistance, but sat quite still in
her seat. In her view he had spoken lightly of her child's love and had
proposed to set matters right by giving her some of his money. She was
angry, and she believed that she had a right to be.
'I love Hilda,' continued Greif, and his voice trembled a little. If
there were a phrase which he had not meant to pronounce, or to think of
during the day, it was that. He found himself in a position which
obliged him to affirm the strength of his love, and the mere sound of
the words disturbed him so that he stopped short, to collect his
thoughts.
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