“I thought you said you were at liberty to talk to me as much as you please,” observed Hamilton, ironically.
“And so I am,” she replied, seating herself again, while she glanced furtively towards her future husband. “What have you got to say to me?”
“Oh, a—what were you talking about? Major Stultz’s excellent advice, was it not? I should really like to hear all that he said to you, for I can hardly think he spent his whole time in railing at men who have the good fortune to be a score of years younger than he is.”
“Oh, we spoke of other things also.”
“It would have been very odd if you had not.”
“We—spoke—of love!”
“Very naturally. I really should like to know the opinion of such a man as Major Stultz on so important a subject.”
“He said,” she began with a sigh, “he said that people, especially women, seldom had the good fortune to marry their first love.”
“Rather a trite observation, and, on his part, unnecessary. Surely, if any man may hope to be the object of a first love, it is Major Stultz! You have only left school a few months—are not yet sixteen years old. What could he mean by talking to you about first love?”
She was silent.