“About my understanding Chinese?”
“Yes—about that.”
“Then you do care—?”
She was panicky with knowledge that somehow her emotions had managed to slip their moorings and get beyond her handling. It didn’t help or mend matters much to hear her own voice stammering:
“Yes, of course, I—I don’t want you to—to have to go away—”
Oh, the vanity of trying to hoodwink him who knew so well what she was now for the first time realizing!
“Because you like me a little, Princess Sofia?”
“Why—yes—of course I do—”
“Because you know I love you, dear.”
And then she found herself clinging to Karslake; and his lips were warm upon her hands ...