"Come now," wanting to draw her from her chair by the two hands, swinging them wide and then together; "don't let his nibs bouncing in that way throw a damper. We were too quick for him, anyway. Don't believe he saw a thing. And what if he did? He's going to know it anyhow, and pretty quick, too. I want to shout it from the housetops, I want to megaphone it up to the stars. Lilly—Lilly-mine! Sweetheart!"
She crowded back into the chair.
"How dared you!"
He fell back with his gesture still wide.
"Why—what? Dared what? Oh, come now, sweetheart, I could wager he didn't see, and suppose he did? We've nothing to conceal. I'm for telling him to-day!"
"No. No. No. You played unfair. You took me—unawares. You misunderstood me horribly—most horribly."
"You mean—"
"Why, you—you boy! What has happened cannot make any difference between you and me. It was outrageous of you—silly boy you—to—to take advantage. After all that has passed—all these years—it is unthinkable that you didn't understand. Why, you—you boy!"
She saw his jaw fall and the sense of his ridiculousness set in.
"What has merely been absurd all along you have suddenly made intolerant. You make more imperative my resignation. You must understand—Mr. Visigoth—under what conditions I will consent to remain here these few weeks."