All of a sudden, I was afraid.
"But... you are insane! You don't think that..."
"Oh, I understand... You think I'm some kind of pervert!"
He seemed sincerely pained. He insisted awkwardly.
"It's not that at all. Will you think it over?"
I felt awkward. My fear had disappeared; still, this proposal seemed so astonishing to me, so strange. I stammered automatically that I would think about it and left.