I burst into laughter that had more than a taste of bitterness.

"Yes," I said, "really! and NOW what do you think?"

"Yes," she said, a little flushed; "but be sensible! Do you really mean
you've got a Rise, all at once, of two hundred a year?"

"To marry on--yes."

She scrutinised me a moment. "You've done this as a surprise!" she said,
and laughed at my laughter. She had become radiant, and that made me
radiant, too.

"Yes," I said, "yes," and laughed no longer bitterly.

She clasped her hands and looked me in the eyes.

She was so pleased that I forgot absolutely my disgust of a moment
before. I forgot that she had raised her price two hundred pounds a year
and that I had bought her at that.

"Come!" I said, standing up; "let's go towards the sunset, dear, and
talk about it all. Do you know--this is a most beautiful world, an
amazingly beautiful world, and when the sunset falls upon you it
makes you into shining gold. No, not gold--into golden glass.... Into
something better that either glass or gold."...

And for all that evening I wooed her and kept her glad. She made me
repeat my assurances over again and still doubted a little.