ouldnotveyhistruemeaningaainlywouldnotresolvetheproblem.Oherhand,ifhisreplywasciseandtothepoint,itwouldhurtCharina’sselfrespect.Charina,afterall,wasabeautifuremelyintelligentdyfromawell-to-dofamilyandanauthoressofsomerepute.Forhertosaywhatshehadjustsaidtookalotofceanditwasaremelyhighplimenttohim,Dimitri,thatshethoughthimworthyofher.Howcouldherefuse?Butifhedidnotrefuse,therereallywasnowayhecouldacceptheroffer…Caughtupinthequandary,Dimitriwasatalossastowhattodo.FinallywithCharina’spiergeyesteredonhim,herealizedhecouldnotprocrastinateanylongerandbracedhimselftoreplyinaroundaboutwaysaying,

    “…eh…Charina…don’tyoufeel…thatistosay…Ifeel…”CharismilingandlookingatDimitriasiffindinghisawkwardandembarrassedbodynguageandexpressionbothfunnyandamusing.Sheheldupherwinegssandsaid,

    “itri,don’tworry.Haveadrinkaalkthisover.”Dimitrigulpeddownhiswhiskeyandtinued,

    “Youknow,Charina,everyohisworldhashispdpysarole.YoupyyourroleandIpymiwomysteriouselementsdefinewhichroleoopy:theieoneisbornwithandcharacterwhichisdevelopedter.Takeyouforinstance:yourieismuchbetterthanthatofanordinaryperson.Youwerebornintoapofluxury,havealwayslivedanaffluentlifeandwasverywelleducated.Thenasyougrewupyourcharacterwasinedtowardstheartistidyoulovedtoreadandwrite.Thatnaturallyledtothelifeofaschorandyoubecameanauthorofsomeacciwasthesamewithme.Myiewasverypoor.Iwasbornwithseriouseyeproblemswhichterledtomyblindness.FromthetimeIhadmemory,Iwasalwaysoreets,begging,soitseemedtobethatIwasbornwithwanderlustandroaminghasbeywayoflife.ThatwashowIcametobeablindvagabond.Itisresultofiioweenmyieandcharacterorwayoflife.Youarelikeabird,flyingfreelyintheskies,whileIamlikeafishier.YouandIaretwoentirelydifferentspeciesofanimalsandunfortuisimpossibletobiwoandmakethemliveinthesamehabitat.Iamsuretheclusionisonly‘no’”.CharilookingatDimitriwithatranquilsmileandsaid,

    “Areyoudone?Ifso,pleaseallowmetosaysomething.Ifeelthatyivingsarebasedonyravepsychologicalobstacles.Themainreasonisthatyoudon’tthinkyouareworthyofme.Isthatright?ButImusttellyounottobelittleyourselfunwarrantedly.InydomofDreams,youareabenevolentkingwhomallyoursubjectsloveandrespect.Youarea.ItwasyouralentsthatmademeloveyouatfirstsightandthereasonwhyIwanttomarryyou.”Charinastoppedforamoment,sippedalittlewhiskeyandtinued,“Alright,let’spromise.Ihaveapnthatwilldissolvethetradisandsolveourproblems.Duringthedayyoupyyourownroleandroamwhereveryouwant.Iknowyouhavealotofgoodfriendsaswelsyourownbusiotakecareof.Butatnight,pleasereturntomyhouse.Asumptuousmealwillbepreparedforyou.Afterdinner,ifyoufeelunfortablesleepingindoors,Ihaveargebackyard.Feelfreetomakeyourbedanywhereoutdoorsthattakesyourfancy.Itsetsmymioknowyouareinmyhome.”Charinaagainstoppedforamomentahesleepingbagfortwospreadoutbesidethemthatshehadjustbought.Charina’svoicedroppedsolowastobealmostinaudibleassheblushedandtinued,“Iwanttohavechildrenwithyou.Itwouldbeapitytoletyournoblelineendwithyouandnotpassyourroyalbloodalongtoyourdesdants…”Dimitri’sheartlurchedwhenheheardherwordsandwasdeeplydistres

ouldnotveyhistruemeaningaainlywouldnotresolvetheproblem.Oherhand,ifhisreplywasciseandtothepoint,itwouldhurtCharina’sselfrespect.Charina,afterall,wasabeautifuremelyintelligentdyfromawell-to-dofamilyandanauthoressofsomerepute.Forhertosaywhatshehadjustsaidtookalotofceanditwasaremelyhighplimenttohim,Dimitri,thatshethoughthimworthyofher.Howcouldherefuse?Butifhedidnotrefuse,therereallywasnowayhecouldacceptheroffer…Caughtupinthequandary,Dimitriwasatalossastowhattodo.FinallywithCharina’spiergeyesteredonhim,herealizedhecouldnotprocrastinateanylongerandbracedhimselftoreplyinaroundaboutwaysaying,

    “…eh…Charina…don’tyoufeel…thatistosay…Ifeel…”CharismilingandlookingatDimitriasiffindinghisawkwardandembarrassedbodynguageandexpressionbothfunnyandamusing.Sheheldupherwinegssandsaid,

    “itri,don’tworry.Haveadrinkaalkthisover.”Dimitrigulpeddownhiswhiskeyandtinued,

    “Youknow,Charina,everyohisworldhashispdpysarole.YoupyyourroleandIpymiwomysteriouselementsdefinewhichroleoopy:theieoneisbornwithandcharacterwhichisdevelopedter.Takeyouforinstance:yourieismuchbetterthanthatofanordinaryperson.Youwerebornintoapofluxury,havealwayslivedanaffluentlifeandwasverywelleducated.Thenasyougrewupyourcharacterwasinedtowardstheartistidyoulovedtoreadandwrite.Thatnaturallyledtothelifeofaschorandyoubecameanauthorofsomeacciwasthesamewithme.Myiewasverypoor.Iwasbornwithseriouseyeproblemswhichterledtomyblindness.FromthetimeIhadmemory,Iwasalwaysoreets,begging,soitseemedtobethatIwasbornwithwanderlustandroaminghasbeywayoflife.ThatwashowIcametobeablindvagabond.Itisresultofiioweenmyieandcharacterorwayoflife.Youarelikeabird,flyingfreelyintheskies,whileIamlikeafishier.YouandIaretwoentirelydifferentspeciesofanimalsandunfortuisimpossibletobiwoandmakethemliveinthesamehabitat.Iamsuretheclusionisonly‘no’”.CharilookingatDimitriwithatranquilsmileandsaid,

    “Areyoudone?Ifso,pleaseallowmetosaysomething.Ifeelthatyivingsarebasedonyravepsychologicalobstacles.Themainreasonisthatyoudon’tthinkyouareworthyofme.Isthatright?ButImusttellyounottobelittleyourselfunwarrantedly.InydomofDreams,youareabenevolentkingwhomallyoursubjectsloveandrespect.Youarea.ItwasyouralentsthatmademeloveyouatfirstsightandthereasonwhyIwanttomarryyou.”Charinastoppedforamoment,sippedalittlewhiskeyandtinued,“Alright,let’spromise.Ihaveapnthatwilldissolvethetradisandsolveourproblems.Duringthedayyoupyyourownroleandroamwhereveryouwant.Iknowyouhavealotofgoodfriendsaswelsyourownbusiotakecareof.Butatnight,pleasereturntomyhouse.Asumptuousmealwillbepreparedforyou.Afterdinner,ifyoufeelunfortablesleepingindoors,Ihaveargebackyard.Feelfreetomakeyourbedanywhereoutdoorsthattakesyourfancy.Itsetsmymioknowyouareinmyhome.”Charinaagainstoppedforamomentahesleepingbagfortwospreadoutbesidethemthatshehadjustbought.Charina’svoicedroppedsolowastobealmostinaudibleassheblushedandtinued,“Iwanttohavechildrenwithyou.Itwouldbeapitytoletyournoblelineendwithyouandnotpassyourroyalbloodalongtoyourdesdants…”Dimitri’sheartlurchedwhenheheardherwordsandwasdeeplydistres