"No; it broke me down."
"Ah!" Marjorie looked very thoughtful for a moment. They were getting perilously near the old theme now, and Gray was getting grim and Marjorie petulant.
And then suddenly:
"Gray, did you ever ask Mavis to marry you?"
Gray reddened furiously and turned his face away.
"Yes," he said firmly. When he looked around again a hostile right shoulder was pointing at him, and over the other shoulder the girl was gazing at—he knew not what.
"Marjorie, you oughtn't to have asked me that. I can't explain very well. I—" He stumbled and stopped, for the girl had turned astonished eyes upon him.
"Explain what?" she asked with demure wonder. "It's all right. I came near asking Jason to marry me."
"Marjorie!" exploded Gray.
"Well!"