It is a humiliating thing to have it found out that you are over head and ears in love with a woman! But Southerley took it very nicely.
“That’s all right!” he said with a sigh of relief in proportion to his size.
“What do you mean?”
“Why, look here. I haven’t been quite sure that you were not sweet upon the girl downstairs. But you wouldn’t be carrying on with both of them at once, now, would you?”
“Good heavens, no, man! And how do you know that either of them would so much as look at me?”
Southerley sighed again and wiped his face.
“Oh, well, well, women are odd creatures!” he observed frankly. “Anyhow, since you’ve given me your word it’s all right I—I want you to do something for me.”
“Well, what?”
Southerley began to pant heavily as he sat with his hands on his knees on one of Bayre’s boxes.
“I want you to propose for me to Miss Merriman.”