"When did you come in?"
"An hour ago—you were asleep." The commonplace question seemed to quiet him.
"Was it something went wrong at the dinner?"
"Wrong, yes ... but not there, not there. It's all wrong, it has been wrong from the beginning."
"Dear heart, tell me."
"Olive, marry me; say you'll marry me!" There was urgency in his whisper, there was pain in it. "Say it; say it!"
"I'll marry you. I've been waiting for you to ask."
"Oh, my dear, when I have begged you so...."
"Tell me," I urged....
"There isn't anything to tell, only ... we walked along the parapet and were very happy together. They're a good sort. I've known them for years. And we found a peasant woman selling lace, good lace, the women said, and cheap ... Harwood bought some for his wife ... and Stanley bought his sister some. Harwood went back, pretending he'd forgotten something, and bought a piece his wife wanted and thought she couldn't afford. And I couldn't buy you any ... not openly. I wanted Miss Stanley to select some handkerchiefs that I said were for the girls and she said girls shouldn't wear that kind. Oh, Olive, don't you understand?"