“Why! Surely we should hide the failings of those we love? I can understand now how your musical and electrical tastes became mixed up; but you should not confuse your duties. But please excuse me:” (Conolly’s eyes had opened a little wider) “I am lecturing you, without the least right to. It is a failing of mine which you must not mind.”
“Not at all. Youve a right to your opinion. But the world would never get on if every practical man were to stand by his father’s mistakes. However, I brought it on myself by telling you a long story. This is the first opportunity I ever had of talking about myself to a lady, and I suppose I have abused it.”
Marian laughed. “We had better stop apologizing to one another,” she said. “What about the accompaniments to our next songs?”
Meanwhile Marmaduke and Miss McQuinch were becoming curious about Marian and Conolly.
“I say, Nelly,” he whispered, “Marian and that young man seem to be getting on uncommonly well together. She looks sentimentally happy, and he seems pleased with himself. Dont you feel jealous?”
“Jealous! Why should I be?”
“Out of pure cussedness. Not that you care for the electric man, but because you hate any one to fall in love with any one else when you are by.”
“I wish you would go away.”
“Why? Dont you like me?”
“I loathe you. Now, perhaps you understand me.”