“What pwomise! Why, that you will consent to accept the wing as a token of my esteem.” He was going to say love, but substituted the other word in lieu of it.

“Your esteem?”

“Certainly. Confound it, Awabella. I intend to always call you Awabella, you know.”

“Well, yes, that, I believe, is an agreement.”

“It is, and you won’t depart from the letter of the law in this respect.”

“There is no reason for my doing so.”

“Well, what was I saying? Where was I? Oh, I know—​about your pwomise.”

“We will talk about that when we next meet.”

“Indeed, we will do no such thing. We will talk about it now. I will not leave this house till you have given me your word that you will accept the wing as a token of fwendship and esteem.”

“That is your determination?”