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'You do?' Posco gasped, and then he took Lily's hands in his and kissed them, his face flushed with wonder and delight. 'I am so very glad!' He hesitated for a moment then, and then he released her hands and sat more at ease. 'Lily, you have explained that you must explain, or at least all I would want of you, though I wanted nothing more than to know that you still loved me. Now it is my turn.' He sighed, and struggled with the thoughts in his mind. How was he to put this? How could he say it without offending her? Her eyes were shining; surely she would not be so easily offended!
'Lily, I must apologize for my seemingly cold behavior last evening,' he said, blushing as he spoke. 'I was raised by a father that had the highest standards of honour when it comes to a girl. I don't blame these high standards, but coupled with my awkwardness and shyness, it produces an awful effect. When you told me last night that you loved me, I replied that I thought it was nice. I did think it was nice, but I also thought it was glorious beyond belief. To learn that my dream had been shared by you... Perhaps it would have been the appropriate thing to tell you that I loved you and then kissed you right there, but it would only cause trouble for both of us. My parents would not look favourably upon it, for I would not have known you long. I do not know what your family would think about it, but it seems likely to me that they would wish to know me a little while before consenting to my marrying you. It doesn't seem right to marry you so soon after I had known you. We must seek consent from our guardians, we must go about things in a manner that will not draw attention -that is to say, we should wait until we've known one another a bit longer- and ridicule, and we must be absolutely sure it's the right thing to do. We wouldn't want to be married and regret it afterwards.
'It is a very difficult concept to explain, Lily. My father and mother met each other when they were still in their tweens, and it was love at first sight. However, being so young and so unacquainted, it wasn't consider proper for them to appear on very friendly terms. My mother hid her feelings amply, even from my father, and he made no move towards her until he was sure she loved him, and sure that he was really willing to spend all his life with her. Even then, he did not say a word to her on the matter until they were out of their tweens. By then they had known each other for some time and were quite confident that they were willing to spend their lifetimes with one another. Only then did he tell her his true feelings and ask her to marry him. Of course she said yes.
'He raised Blanco and I in the same manner. It is honourable and gallant, or that is what he said. You don't want to put a girl in a spot where she either has to refuse you or marry you and face all gossip because she is young, or because she has not known you for long, or some other such thing. And if she accepts, you'll have her in a situation where if she realizes she was simply immature and foolish she will be stuck as your wife for all time. Two or three days is not really enough time to be absolutely certain. I know girls that fall in and out of love, and only a fair amount of time could say if it's a love that will fall out or not.'
He stopped to take a breath and steady himself, for he was making one of the longest speeches he had ever made. At last he looked earnestly into her eyes and spoke the same way, saying, 'So, you see, Lily... or at least you see the point I am trying to make, even if I don't describe it right... You see, no matter what I feel for you, I can't say. Not yet, anyway.'
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