Silence.
“I hope you do,” added Hardy.
The worst silence of all.
“Why do you hope that?” she asked, in a blank, small voice.
“Because I—ever since the first time I saw you, I thought perhaps you’d noticed.”
“Noticed what?” inquired Miss Patterson, and he fancied that there was a shade of coldness in her voice. He was in despair. Of course she had no idea what he was driving at, he was so appallingly clumsy and stupid about it. He must do better than this! He drew a long breath.
“My prospects are pretty good,” he remarked. “They’re going to make me assistant buyer at the end of the year.”
“So I’ve heard,” said she, and this time there was no mistaking the coldness in her tone.
“I didn’t say that to boast,” he assured her anxiously. “I only wanted to tell you because—I wanted you to know that I—”
“I shouldn’t blame you for boasting,” said Miss Patterson, in a polite, formal way. “Every one says you have a remarkable future before you.”