She turned to him, frowning. “Was that what you were doing?”
“I was telling you I hoped to make a try for it,” he explained a little querulously. “When my mother comes and hears about this she’ll send for my father probably and there’ll be a big fuss—more than you could have any idea of until you really hear it. But I never took to any girl as much as I’ve taken to you, never in my life.” Here his querulousness gave way to another feeling and his voice softened. “I’m ready to buck up to the whole crew of ’em for your sake, Lily. What about it?”
She looked at him blankly. “I don’t know,” she said.
“What?” he cried. “Don’t you understand? I’m asking you to marry me!”
“Yes,” she said. “I hear you say it; but so far as I’m concerned you might almost as well be telling me it’s a pleasant day! I’m not in the right state to think about it or even to understand it.”
“Why not?”
“Because,” she said, “I’m so angry I don’t know what I’m doing.”
“Look here——” he began; but said no more, and, in spite of her preoccupation with her anger, she was able to perceive that he now had some of his own. She put her hand lightly upon his sleeve and, simultaneously, the car stopped at the hospital door.
“Forgive me,” she said. “I’m afraid I’m terribly rude. But don’t you know there are times when you get so furious you just can’t think about anything else?”
“Can’t you?” he returned, coldly, as the chauffeur helped him down from the car. “I’m afraid I doubt if you’d ever consider what I was saying as of enough importance to listen to.”