"Indeed! Was I guilty of so foolish a thing? Did you thank me for the present?"
"I asked dear Mr. Hargrove to tell you when he wrote that I was exceedingly grateful for your kindness."
"Certainly it appears so. All these years the dog was not worth even a simple note of thanks; now all the banks in Gotham cannot buy him."
The chill irony of his tone painfully embarrassed her.
"You positively refuse to sell him to me?"
"Yes, sir."
"Because you love him?"
"Because I love him more than I can ever make you comprehend."
"You regard me as a dullard in comprehending canine qualities?"
"I did not say so."