Neither Jane nor Cleigh apparently heard this interpolation.
“Why did you maltreat him?” 258
“Otherwise he would have thought I was offering my hand, that I had weakened.”
“And you expected him to fall on your shoulder and ask your pardon after that? Mr. Cleigh, for a man of your intellectual attainments, your stand is the biggest piece of stupidity I ever heard of! How in the world was he to know what your thoughts were?”
“I was giving him his chance,” declared Cleigh, stubbornly.
“A yacht? It’s a madhouse,” gibed Cunningham. “And this is a convention of fools!”
“How do you want me to act?” asked Cleigh, surrendering absolutely.
“When he comes to, take his hand. You don’t have to say anything else.”
“All right.”
From Dennison’s lips came a deep, long sigh. Jane leaned over.