"Make it a fortnight," he suggested.
"No—say a month," she answered—"or six weeks."
Then it was Richard's turn to feel the future in danger. But he had no intention to eat humble pie that evening.
"A month then. But one point I wish to make bitter clear, Nelly. If you marry me, you come to 'The Tiger.'"
"So it seems."
"Yes—bar-loafers, or no bar-loafers."
"I'll bear it in mind, Richard."
The leave-taking lacked affection and they parted with full hearts. Each was smarting under consciousness of the other's failure in nice feeling; each was amazed as at a revelation. Richard kept his mouth shut concerning this interview, for he was proud and did not like to confess even to himself that he stood on the verge of disaster; but Mrs. Northover held a familiar within her gates, and she did not hesitate to lay the course of the adventure before Job Legg.
"The world is full of surprises," said Nelly, "and you never know, when you begin talking, where the gift of speech will land you. And if you're dealing with a man who can't take a bit of fun and can't keep his eyes on his tongue and his temper at the same time, trouble will often happen."
She told the story with honesty and did not exaggerate; but Mr. Legg supported her and held that such a self-respecting woman could have done and said no less. He declared that Richard Gurd had brought the misfortune on himself, and feared that the innkeeper's display revealed a poor understanding of female nature.