“Very especially for me, as I could not strike him.”
“What did you say?”
“I said, I believe, ‘Thank you, sir.’ It wasn’t a very brilliant observation, under the circumstances.”
Violet put her hands round his neck, drew his face down and kissed it.
“I love you for having said it,” said she.
“That makes up. But I felt pretty bad, never felt worse. I declare to heaven,” suddenly broke out Mr Fanshawe, “I can’t understand human nature. Here’s a man as brave as they make them, a D.S.O., and all that, with the heart of a bitter old maid——”
“Go on,” said Violet. “What happened then?”
“He said things about you, and—I ran away.”
“Ran away?”
“You see, if I had stayed I must have knocked him down. I told him he was a liar before I left him, though; other things, too, that I want to forget——”