He said no more, but held out his hands across the table. Elisabeth looked at him, strangely moved, but she made no sign of giving him her hands.
"Mr. Hepworth," she said gently, "it's no good, sir, speaking to me like that."
"Ah!" he said.
"Don't mistake me, sir," she said quickly. "I believe all you've said, and—and any woman would have been proud to hear it said to her. You are a man to love—I'll say that frankly—and the woman who takes you will get a good man. But you must not ask me, sir."
"Why—why, Elisabeth," he said.
"Consider, Mr, Hepworth," she answered. "Why, you don't even know me! I'm your parlour-maid—"
"Oh!" he exclaimed. "Let us hear no more of that, Elisabeth. If that is all—"
"It's not all," she said, gravely.
"Tell me," he said, "is there anything between us?"
