"Thirty-four dollars!" she faltered.
He discovered what small change he had in his pocket: it was like him to be extravagant, even extreme. "And fifty-three cents?" he pursued, with a nervous laugh.
"Heavens!" the girl gasped. "I should think so!"
"Then go ahead!" He offered her the money, but she could only stare, incredulous. "I'll stake you."
"Oh...no, Mr. Duncan," she managed to say.
"Oh, yes!" He tried to catch one of the hands that involuntarily had risen toward her face in a gesture of wonder. "Please do," he begged, his tone persuasive, "as a favour to me."
But she evaded him, stepping back. "I couldn't take it; I couldn't really."
"Yes, you can. Just try it once, and see how easy it is," he persisted, pursuing.
"No, I can't." She looked up shyly and shook her head, that smile of her mother's for the moment illuminating her face almost with the radiance of beauty. "But I—I thank you very much—just the same."
"But I want you to go to that party..."