She looked up. “What whole thing?”
“The way I behaved with you.”
“Oh, that! I don’t see why you should apologize,” she said.
“It wasn’t fair. It wasn’t even decent.”
“But it was a sort of habit with you, wasn’t it?” she said commiseratingly, and had the happiness of seeing his face flush. “I quite understand. And we were both amused.”
“I wasn’t amused,” he said, “not a bit, and I’m sorry I behaved as I did. You were so young—and so pretty. Well, it’s no good making excuses, but I couldn’t rest until I’d seen you and—humbled myself.”
“Did Aunt Rose tell you to say this?” she asked.
“Rose? Of course not. Why should she?”
“She seems to have an extraordinary power.”
“Yes, she has,” he said simply.