Muriel uttered an exclamation. “Put me down!” she cried. “How dare you!”
Again he kissed her, holding her up in his arms as her legs kicked at his hip. She freed her hand and pressed it into his face.
“If you do that,” he laughed, “I’ll drop you.”
“How dare you!” she repeated. “Oh, you brute!”
He threw his head back, and looked up at the sun from under the brim of his battered old hat. “It’s been an extraordinary fortnight,” he panted, as though he were addressing the heavens.
Muriel did not answer, but she was breathing hard as he looked down into her face once more, and her eyes were wide with anger.
“I’ve learned a lot about you,” he said, “during these days; and I guess you’re worth winning, after all.”
“In that case,” she replied furiously, “I guess you’ll be sorry that you’ve lost me.”
“Have I lost you, Muriel?” he asked.
“You have,” she replied, shortly and decisively. “What else did you expect, after the way you have insulted and bullied me? You’ve lost me for ever.”