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want you to marry me.’
She had read too many novelettes not to know how to
take such an offer.
‘I’m sure I’m very grateful to you, Philip. I’m very much
flattered at your proposal.’
‘Oh, don’t talk rot. You will marry me, won’t you?’
‘D’you think we should be happy?’
‘No. But what does that matter?’
The words were wrung out of him almost against his will.
They surprised her.
‘Well, you are a funny chap. Why d’you want to marry
me then? The other day you said you couldn’t afford it.’
‘I think I’ve got about fourteen hundred pounds left. Two
can live just as cheaply as one. That’ll keep us till I’m quali-
fied and have got through with my hospital appointments,
and then I can get an assistantship.’
‘It means you wouldn’t be able to earn anything for six
years. We should have about four pounds a week to live on
till then, shouldn’t we?’
‘Not much more than three. There are all my fees to pay.’
‘And what would you get as an assistant?’
‘Three pounds a week.’
‘D’you mean to say you have to work all that time and
spend a small fortune just to earn three pounds a week at
the end of it? I don’t see that I should be any better off than
I am now.’
He was silent for a moment.
‘D’you mean to say you won’t marry me?’ he asked
hoarsely. ‘Does my great love mean nothing to you at all?’

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