'Many thanks. But I'm afraid I'm not deeply interested in any story of yours.' She was almost sorry the next moment. It was just as if she had struck him.
Presently he recovered a little. 'Christina,' he said quietly, 'that's no true.'
'Hoo daur ye!' she cried, forgetting her 'fine English' as well as her haughty pose.
'If it was true, it wud mean that ye've been judgin' me unfair, kennin' it was unfair, an' I'll never believe ye wud dae that. . . . So, Christina dear, listen to me an' gi'e me a chance.'
'Oh, what's the use,' she sighed with sudden weariness, 'what's the use o' pretendin', Macgreegor?'
'Wha's pretendin'?'
'You! What's the use o' pretendin' ye're hurt? Fine ye ken I'm no the—the only girl in the world.'
'There's no anither like ye!'
'Weel,' she said drily, 'that means variety, does it no?' She drew a long breath and moved back from the counter. 'I want to be as fair as I can, so perhaps I'd best ask ye a straight question.'
'Ask it!' he said eagerly.