"Will you?"
She looked up at him bravely. Her face was white, but determined. Almost defiantly, she replied:
"No. I won't run away."
"That's the way to talk," he cried and going to the door leading to the outside hall, he opened it and called out:
"Oku, open the wine and bring it in here—two glasses."
Returning, he sat down, waiting for the butler to bring the champagne. His face was more flushed than ever. Instead of having a sobering effect, his wife's resistance seemed only to inflame him more. But just now his thoughts were not so much on her as on her brother-in-law.
"Oku's—a good boy," he hiccoughed. "A very—good boy. But he isn't half as funny as Jimmie. It's worth twice Jimmie's salary just to have him around to make me laugh. How he does make me laugh! He doesn't know that I'm laughing at him, but I know it. That's what makes it so funny—"
He was interrupted by the appearance of Oku with wine and glasses, which the butler placed on the table.
"Shall I serve?" asked the servant.
"Yes, fill 'em up," replied his master.