"I didn't do it for them only," Quin blurted out. "I didn't want you to borrow money from Captain Phipps."
The temptation to encourage this special spark was not to be resisted.
"You don't love Mr. Phipps very much, do you?" she said.
"No; do you?"
"Well, I like him. He is one of my very best friends."
"Am I?" demanded Quin with terrible directness.
It was Eleanor's turn to trace patterns in the sand.
"Well, you see——" she began.
"No, I don't." Quin rose indignantly. "There's nobody in the world that would do any more for you than I would. I may be chasing the kite in thinking that you want me to do anything, but if you'll just let me under the ribbon, you bet your life I'll give Phipps and the rest of the talent a run for their money!"
He stood staring hard down the road for a moment, while she sat in embarrassed silence; then he broke forth again: