“Well, if you won’t listen to me, I suppose ...” He waved his hand deprecatingly. “Suppose we stop arguing. Let’s hold the matter over. I’m certain that with a few days’ thought you’ll——”
“But I can’t hold the matter over.”
“Why not?”
“Because the situation’s been offered me. I’ve either got to accept it or reject it on the spot.”
“Well, Catherine, I’m sorry to go against you, but it will have to be so, in this case. Understand, I mean it. I mean to have my own way in this matter. I won’t have you strumming away every night in a third-rate picture house. I’m going to put my foot down firmly in this matter. You must reject the offer.”
He made a gallant but not entirely successful attempt to appear dignified by resuming the perusal of his newspaper. Catherine bit her lip and went a little pale.
“That’s a pity,” she said quietly.
“Why is it a pity?”
“Because I’ve decided to accept it.” Her lips were tight, and there was the suggestion of restrained emotion in her voice.
Something happened to his eyes. They opened terrifically wide and gazed at her expressionlessly for several seconds.