"Why do you say that it's incongruous, coming from me?" she asked.
"I'm afraid I can't answer that without being impertinent again," laughed Harry.
She turned to him with a slight smile. "Risk that!"
It was many days since he had been alone with her—so devoted had he been to Vivien. Now again he felt her power; again he did not know whether she put it forth consciously.
"Well, then, you playing sheep-dog when you ought to be—" He broke off, leaving his eyes to finish for him.
"So your teasing is to be considered as a compliment?"
"I'll go on with it, if you'll take it like that."
"Does Vivien take it like that, do you think?"
"I don't believe she thinks anything about it—one way or the other. She's partial to my small efforts to be amusing, that's all."
"Well, if it's a compliment, I don't want any more of it. I think you'd better, under the circumstances, keep all your compliments for Vivien—till you're married, at all events!"