"
"I hope the ladies will observe them," he replied; "the gentlemen
will, for they are pretty. Did you not note that her boots are adapted
to walking? You could climb with twice the ease if your heels were not
so high. For mountain scrambling a lady needs short skirts, and boots
like those that Miss Alden wears. You should see the English girls
walking in the Alps. It's my good-fortune, however, that you are
partially disabled this morning. Here's a steep place. Take my arm and
put all the weight upon it you can--the more the better. Lean on me as
if you trusted me."
There was a slight frown on her brow, as he began his speech, but it
soon passed, and she said, softly, as she still lingered, "Well, I'm
not an athlete. I should value more a man's strong arm than strength
of my own."
"You know that the arm of one man is ever at your service."
"'Ever' implies more patience than any man possesses."
"I should think so; yet you will find me reasonably patient."
"Everything is a matter of reason with men."
"Our reason assures us that certain things are a matter of the heart
with women. Therefore we hope."
"Men are much too exacting. They reason a thing out and make up their
minds. If they base any hopes on women's hearts, they should remember
what unreasoning organs they are--full of hesitations, doubts, absurd
fears, and more absurd confidence at times.
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