“I have supped—full——” he began, his eyes dancing with a smile as he ventured upon a quotation. He was very much excited.
“Of horrors!” she cried completing it. “Now that is worse than anything I have given you.”
“Is it?” he replied, and they smiled at each other.
“Far worse,” she answered. They waited in suspense for some moments. He looked at her.
“Good-bye,” she said, holding out her hand. Her voice was full of insurgent tenderness. He looked at her again, his eyes flickering. Then he took her hand. She pressed his fingers, holding them a little while. Then ashamed of her display of feeling, she looked down. He had a deep cut across his thumb.
“What a gash!” she exclaimed, shivering, and clinging a little tighter to his fingers before she released them. He gave a little laugh.
“Does it hurt you?” she asked very gently.
He laughed again—“No!” he said softly, as if his thumb were not worthy of consideration.
They smiled again at each other, and, with a blind movement, he broke the spell and was gone.