q: Who has an unusual name for her gender? a: Stephen q: Had she asked something of someone? a: yes q: What was it? a: to marry her q: Had he told someone about it? a: yes q: Who? a: Harold q: Was she persistant in her proposal? a: yes q: Was her proposal accepted? a: no q: What color was her face when she asked Harold if he knew? a: red q: Was she emberassed? a: no q: Did Harold answer quickly? a: no q: How was he responding to her? a: silently q: Did she think the object of her affection had elaborated on the story? a: yes q: How did she think he felt to be asked such a thing? a: offended q: How did she realize this? a: he told her so q: Did she continue to speak of it? a: yes q: With what? a: with feminine intuition q: Did Harold feel that he was being abused in some way? a: yes q: Could he escape it? a: no q: How did he describe his treatment? a: as torture q: Did she find it amusing? c: CHAPTER XV--THE END OF THE MEETING 

Stephen went on in her calm, cold voice: 

'Did he tell you that I had asked him to marry me?' Despite herself, as she spoke the words a red tide dyed her face. It was not a flush; it was not a blush; it was a sort of flood which swept through her, leaving her in a few seconds whiter than before. Harold saw and understood. He could not speak; he lowered his head silently. Her eyes glittered more coldly. The madness that every human being may have once was upon her. Such a madness is destructive, and here was something more vulnerable than herself. 

'Did he tell you how I pressed him?' There was no red tide this time, nor ever again whilst the interview lasted. To bow in affirmation was insufficient; with an effort he answered: 

'I understood so.' She answered with an icy sarcasm: 

'You understood so! Oh, I don't doubt he embellished the record with some of his own pleasantries. But you understood it; and that is sufficient.' After a pause she went on: 

'Did he tell you that he had refused me?' 

'Yes!' Harold knew now that he was under the torture, and that there was no refusing. She went on, with a light laugh, which wrung his heart even more than her pain had done . . . Stephen to laugh like that! 

'And I have no doubt that he embellished that too, with some of his fine masculine witticisms. I understood myself that he was offended at my asking him. I understood it quite well; he told me so!' Then with feminine intuition she went on: 
yes