Peter met her in the main entrance. “How did he take it?” he asked excitedly, his nerves obviously unstrung.
“Not very well,” replied she.
“Yes—I saw him tearing away into the woods. Good Lord! How can you take it so quietly!”
By way of answer Beatrice shrugged her shoulders and lifted her eyebrows.
“Beatrice—honestly don’t you think we’d better go ahead and do as he wants? He is a dangerous man—believe me, he is. I don’t like to speak so of your father, but everyone agrees that he——”
“You can never tell a man’s family any news about what he is,” said Beatrice.
“He’ll make life a hell for you,” groaned Hanky. “And he’ll make mischief for me.”
“I think not,” replied she. “He’ll have other things besides you to occupy him. He knows it’s wholly my fault.”
“But, Beatrice—don’t be obstinate. You must know it’d really not be so rotten bad to marry me.”
“I thought I mentioned the fact that I’m in love with some one else.”