But Dr. Harry's single eyeglass fascinated her as with a demand for showing some kind of culture.
She blinked her eyelids nervously and answered, "My embarr*ass*ment prevents me."
Dr. Harry never moved a muscle of his usually mobile and merry countenance. But the flaming sword of fear cut further conversation dead for Elma. She became subtly conscious that the word was wrong, and fled to her room.
"While I'm here," she said dismally, "I may as well look up 'melodramic.'" This was a carking care left over from a conversation in the morning.
It proved another tragedy.
Being really of a cheerful sunny nature, which never for long allowed clouds to overshadow the bright horizon of her imagination, she acquainted herself thoroughly with the right term.
"One consolation is, I shall never make that mistake again as long as I live. Melodramatic," she repeated with the swagger of familiarity.
Then "emb, emb--Oh! dear, I've forgotten again."
Concluding that embarrassment was a treacherous acquaintance, she decided to drop it altogether.
"After this I shall only be shy," she said with a certain amount of refined pleasure in her own humour.