“Well, I thought I'd made it clear that it looks fairly bleak to me if you don't go.”
“Oh, yes!” she jeered.
“It's the simple truth,” he insisted. “I don't care a great deal about dances these days; and if you aren't going to be there——”
“You could stay away,” she suggested. “You wouldn't!”
“Unfortunately, I can't. I'm afraid I'm supposed to be the excuse. Miss Lamb, in her capacity as a friend of my relatives——”
“Oh, she's giving it for YOU! I see! On Mildred's account you mean?”
At that his face showed an increase of colour. “I suppose just on account of my being a cousin of Mildred's and of——”
“Of course! You'll have a beautiful time, too. Henrietta'll see that you have somebody to dance with besides Miss Dowling, poor man!”
“But what I want somebody to see is that I dance with you! And perhaps your father——”
“Wait!” she said, frowning as if she debated whether or not to tell him something of import; then, seeming to decide affirmatively, she asked: “Would you really like to know the truth about it?”