Aubrey Beardsley paintings

Archer reddened, and hurried on with a rush. ``We had a frank talk -- almost the first. She thinks my impatience a bad sign.''
``Merciful heavens -- a bad sign?''
``She thinks it means that I can't trust myself to go
-166-on caring for her. She thinks, in short, I want to marry her at once to get away from some one that I -- care for more.''
Madame Olenska examined this curiously. ``But if she thinks that -- why isn't she in a hurry too?''
``Because she's not like that: she's so much nobler. She insists all the more on the long engagement, to give me time -- ''
``Time to give her up for the other woman?''
``If I want to.''
Madame Olenska leaned toward the fire and gazed into it with fixed eyes. Down the quiet street Archer heard the approaching trot of her horses.
``That is noble,'' she said, with a slight break in her voice.