At length Jerome fell taciturn also; and it was then that the girl reëstablished the theme which the episode of the fashion page had broken.
“Don’t you ever have a feeling,” she wearily insisted, “you ought to be getting more out of life?”
This time his laugh was slightly constrained. “I’ve thought of cutting quite a figure in the world some day. How do I know but I still may? You never can tell.”
“You certainly won’t unless you make up your mind to!”
“Oh say!” he protested, his masculine dignity beginning to feel menaced. “Why do you want to jump on me all of a sudden? I guess I’m no worse off, at least, than I was a year ago.”
But his defensive nonchalance infuriated her. “A year ago!”
“Well,” he replied easily and a trifle coolly, “I lay a whole lot of plans I don’t always discuss, because I prefer to wait till I’m ready to spring something definite.”
Their voices were taking on a sharper quality as they carried their lovers’ quarrel through the home-rush of the ignoring fog-choked city.
“Anything’s better than submitting! I must say I’d admire you more if you didn’t just take what’s handed out.”
“You would?”