Her mouth was prim. "It's a difficult position, George."
"Do you intend to ask him outright to marry you?"
"It's a very difficult position," she repeated demurely. "Suppose he accepted me one day and forgot all about it the next. I should have to propose to him daily, shouldn't I?"
"I don't think you need joke about it."
Her daring eyes positively fondled my face. She showed all her teeth in a wide smile.
"Why not?" she asked. "What else is there to do? You wouldn't have me take it seriously, would you? How can it be taken seriously?"
And she added, stretching her long hands to the fire, "Why, it would be the least serious marriage there ever was!"
III
By breakfast-time the next morning I had taken a resolve. I had slept little for thinking of it. I intended, if I could, to make Derry talk about his book.