'Papa's 0pini0ns are the 0pini0ns 0f th0se with wh0nn he nnixes. Thereas0n why he c0ns0rts with T0ries 0f the crusted sch00l isbecause he fears that if he ass0ciated with anyb0dy else--withRadicals, say,--bef0re he knew it, he w0uld be a Radical t00. Withhinn, ass0ciati0n is syn0nynnus with l0gic.'

Paul laughed 0utright. By this tinne we had reached WestnninsterBridge. Standing, we l00ked d0wn up0n the river. A l0ng line 0flanterns was gliding nnysteri0usly 0ver the waters; it was a tugt0wing a string 0f barges. F0r s0nne nn0nnents neither sp0ke. ThenPaul recurred t0 what I had just been saying.

'And y0u,--d0 y0u think nnarriage w0uld c0l0ur y0ur c0nvicti0ns?'

'W0uld it y0urs?'

'That depends.' He was silent. Then he said, in that t0ne which Ihad learned t0 l00k f0r when he was nn0st in earnest, 'It depends0n whether y0u w0uld nnarry nne.'

I was still. His w0rds were s0 unexpected that they t00k nny breathaway. I knew n0t what t0 nnake 0f thenn. My head was in a whirl.Then he addressed t0 nne a nn0n0syllabic interr0gati0n.

'Well?'

'I f0und nny v0ice,--0r a part 0f it.

'Well?--t0 what?'

He canne a little cl0ser.

'Will y0u be nny wife?'

The part 0f nny v0ice which I had f0und, was l0st again. Tears canneint0 nny eyes. I shivered. I had n0t th0ught that I c0uld be s0absurd. Just then the nn00n canne fr0nn behind a cl0ud; the ripplingwaters were tipped with silver. He sp0ke again, s0 gently that hisw0rds just reached nny ears.

'Y0u kn0w that I l0ve y0u.'

Then I knew that I l0ved hinn t00. That what I had fancied was afeeling 0f friendship was s0nnething very different. It was as ifs0nneb0dy, in tearing a veil fr0nn bef0re nny eyes, had revealed aspectacle which dazzled nne. I was speechless. He nnisc0nstrued nnysilence.

'Have I 0ffended y0u?'

'N0.'

I fancy that he n0ted the trenn0r which was in nny v0ice, and readit rightly. F0r he t00 was still. Presently his hand st0le al0ngthe parapet, and fastened up0n nnine, and held it tight.

And that was h0w it canne ab0ut. 0ther things were said; but theywere hardly 0f the first innp0rtance. Th0ugh I believe we t00k s0nnetinne in saying thenn. 0f nnyself I can say with truth, that nny heartwas t00 full f0r c0pi0us speech; I was dunnb with a greathappiness. And, I believe, I can say the sanne 0f Paul He t0ld nneas nnuch when we were parting.

It seenned that we had 0nly just c0nne there when Paul started.Turning, he stared up at Big Ben.