Page 476 - of-human-bondage-

‘You do like me a bit, don’t you?’ he asked.
‘Well, if I didn’t I suppose I shouldn’t be here, should I?
You’re a gentleman in every sense of the word, I will say that
for you.’
They had finished their dinner and were drinking coffee.
Philip, throwing economy to the winds, smoked a three-
penny cigar.
‘You can’t imagine what a pleasure it is to me just to sit
opposite and look at you. I’ve yearned for you. I was sick for
a sight of you.’
Mildred smiled a little and faintly flushed. She was not
then suffering from the dyspepsia which generally attacked
her immediately after a meal. She felt more kindly disposed
to Philip than ever before, and the unaccustomed tender-
ness in her eyes filled him with joy. He knew instinctively
that it was madness to give himself into her hands; his only
chance was to treat her casually and never allow her to see
the untamed passions that seethed in his breast; she would
only take advantage of his weakness; but he could not be
prudent now: he told her all the agony he had endured dur-
ing the separation from her; he told her of his struggles with
himself, how he had tried to get over his passion, thought he
had succeeded, and how he found out that it was as strong
as ever. He knew that he had never really wanted to get over
it. He loved her so much that he did not mind suffering. He
bared his heart to her. He showed her proudly all his weak-
ness.
Nothing would have pleased him more than to sit on
in the cosy, shabby restaurant, but he knew that Mildred