“Why, that’s exactly the reason. Can’t you see? It was you! You fairly exuded gentility. Come now, I’m humility itself. I’ve sinned. How can I expiate?”
“By letting me go home to dinner.”
Patricia was laughing this time. The man was looking at his watch.
“What a brute I am!” He stopped, took off his hat and turned away. And here it was that some little frivolous genius put unmeditated words upon Patricia’s tongue.
“I’m not so dreadfully hungry,” she said.
After all, he had been impertinent so very courteously.
In a moment he was at her side again.
“That was kind of you. Perhaps you’ve forgiven me.”
“N—no,” with rising inflection.