"Don't you love me?" he asked. "Don't you love me at all?"
He was talking aloud to conceal the fact that he had drawn her to him and was placing his arms around her. To do anything like that in silence would have frightened Henrietta. But to talk while one was doing it, that made it seem less definite. One could ignore what one was doing, ignore the hands pressing one's shoulders and the touching of bodies by pretending to interest one's self entirely in the conversation.
Basine knew this because he had made love to girls and taken liberties. As long as he kept talking and asking questions the girl would pretend she was so occupied in answering the questions and keeping up socially her end of the talk that she was oblivious to the liberties that were being taken with her.
Henrietta answered, "Why do you ask that? Do you really think you ought to ask me questions like that, George Basine?"
"Yes I do," he said, "why shouldn't I?"
"Oh because. Because you're engaged to Marion."
"I know. Anybody could know that. Aren't you?"
"No more than you are to Aubrey."
"Gracious! Aren't you the clever boy. I declare! Engaged to Aubrey! Heavens, I'd like to know where you heard that."