n't believe it; don't believe that any man loves for all time."

"Louise, to hear you talk one might think that you have been grossly
deceived, but I know you haven't, and that is what forces me to say that
I don't understand you."

"You don't have to understand me. Nobody has asked you to."

She walked on and he strode beside her, stripping the leaves off the
shrubs, looking down at her, worshipping her; and she, frail and
whimsical, received with unconcern the giant's adoration.

"I told the Major that I loved you--"

"Told him before you did me, didn't you?" she broke in, glancing up at
him.

"No, but on the same day. I knew he was my friend, and I didn't know
but--"

"That he would order me to marry you?"

"No, not that, but I thought he might reason with you."

"That's just like a stupid man. He thinks that he can win a woman with
reason."

He pondered a long time, seeming to feel that this bit of observation
merited well-considered reply, and at last he said: "No, I didn't think
that a woman could be won by something she didn't understand."

"Oh, you didn't. That was brilliant of you. But let us not spat with
each other, Jim."

"I couldn't spat with you, Louise; I think too much of you for that, and
I want to say right now that no matter if you do marry I'm going to keep
on loving you just the same. I have loved you so long now that I don't
know how to quit. People say that I am industrious, and they compliment
me for keeping up my place so well, and for not going to town and
loafing about of a Sunday and at night, but the truth is there ain't a
dog in this county that's lazier than I am. During all these years my
mind has been on you so strong that I have been driven to work."

She had thrown down her iron weed blossoms and had put her hands to her
ears to shut out his words as if they were a reproach to her, but she
heard him and thus replied: "It appears that I have been of some service
at any rate."

"Yes, but now you are going to undo it all."

"I thought you said you were going to keep on loving me just the same."

"What! Do you want me to?" There was eagerness in his voice, and with
hope tingling in his blood he remembered that a few moments before she
had called him Jim. "Do you want me to?"

"I want you always to be my friend."

Under these words he drooped and there was no eagerness in his voice
when he replied: "Friendship between a great big man and a little bit of
a woman is non