She hid her face against his hand, and did not reply.
“What is your own idea, anyway?” he asked, in a winsome, humorous voice.
“Oh, if you could only run away with me by force,” she murmured intensely. “If only I needn’t decide at all. I’m just a lump of obstinacy, and I don’t want to climb down and meekly give in; don’t you see how I hate that part of it? You could always say ‘I told you so,’” and she smiled a little.
“Bravo, Patricia! I like that spirit in you. Curse it all, a few hundred years ago, I’d just have brought along my men-at-arms and captured you. What good old days they must have been. And here we are hemmed in all round by barriers, and I haven’t even got a couple of good arms to drag you onto my horse. But anyhow, the gods are evidently relenting, so I’ll take heart and think out a plan.” He saw her glance at the clock.
“Must you go now? Are the beastly medicine bottles squirming on the shelf? Well, I won’t keep you. It isn’t good enough with a crocked-up arm. In fact, it isn’t good at all; it’s merely maddening. You see, I want to kiss you, Paddy, and I dare say if I asked very appealingly and pathetically, you would lean over and give me a sort of benevolent, motherly salute.” He gave a low laugh with a note of masterfulness in it. “But I’ll have none of it. To dream as I have dreamed, and then begin with a mild caress! Never. I forbid you to come near me again until I’m on my feet with, at any rate, one strong arm. Then I’ll show you. I had always a weakness for the best.”
She stood up, a little non-plussed and uncertain, but he only smiled into her eyes with something of the old mocking light.
“Good-by, mavourneen, I’ll let you know when you must come again. I’ve had enough healing for a little—and I’m sure the bottles are clamouring.”
“Good-by,” she answered, and went slowly out of the room.
But as she trundled back to Shepherd’s Bush on a motor ’bus, she saw no greyness and shabbiness and desolation any more—saw nothing at all—only knew that in her heart there was a sort of shy, fierce, bewildering gladness.