"That's—just—it. One of us—isn't enough—for me!"
Something blurred Professor Hooker's sight. There was a roaring in his ears like that of a thousand pine trees in a gale.
"How do you mean?" he heard himself asking, in a weirdly conventional tone, although he knew what she meant all the time, and the knowledge seemed to be swelling him up like a balloon. Indeed, he felt as if he was just coming out of a dose of laughing-gas—inflated and very much excited and irresponsible.
The next instant, he was kneeling on the tiles in front of her; those tailor-made arms were around his neck, and his face was pressed up against the tan jacket, and her hair was tickling his ears.
"You funny little man!" she was saying, in a trembly voice. "You funny, silly little man! I won't let you go without me."
And Bennie answered—he could feel her heart beating through the tan military jacket:
"Silly little thing yourself! Do you think I'd let you take a chance like that now—dear?"
"You must!"
"I won't!"
He raised his head and drew down her face to his.