warning. " I don't quite see," she answered,
"where, in particular, it strikes you that my danger
lies. I'm not conscious, I assure you, of the least
disposition to throw myself anywhere. I feel
as if, for the present, I have been quite sufficiently
thrown."

"You don't feel " Marian brought it all out
"as if you would like to marry Merton Densher?"

Kate took a moment to meet this inquiry. " Is
it your idea that if I should feel so I would be
bound to give you notice, so that you might step
in and head me off? Is that your idea? " the girl
asked. Then, as her sister also had a pause, " I
don't know what makes you talk of Mr. Densher,"
she observed.

"I talk of him just because you don t. That
you never do, in spite of what I know that's what
makes me think of him. Or rather perhaps it's
what makes me think of you. If you don't know by
this time what I hope for you, what I dream of
my attachment being what it is it's no use my
attempting to tell you." But Marian had in fact
warmed to her work, and Kate was sure she had
discussed Mr. Densher with the Miss Condrips.
"If I name that person I suppose it's because I'm
so afraid of him. If you want really to know, he
fills me with terror. If you want really to know,
in fact, I dislike him as much as I dread him."

"And yet don't think it dangerous to abuse him
tome?"

[[43]]

p042 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p043w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p044

v?