Nan's eyebrows lifted perceptibly.
"She informed my father in my presence," Donald continued, "that you had had a change of heart; that you were now resolved to accept me should I again ask you to marry me. It appears you had told Andrew Daney this—in cold blood as it were. So Dad went to the telephone and verified this report by Daney; then we had a grand show-down and I was definitely given my choice of habitation—The Dreamerie or the Sawdust Pile. Father, Mother, Elizabeth and Jane; jointly and severally assured me that they would never receive you, so Nan, dear, it appears that I will have to pay rather a heavy price for the privilege of marrying you—"
"I have never told you I would marry you," she cried sharply.
"Yes, you did. That day in the hospital."
"That was a very necessary fib and you should not hold it against me. It was a promise absolutely not made in good faith."
"But did you tell Daney that you would accept me if I should ask you again to marry me?"
She was visibly agitated but answered him truthfully. "Yes, I did."
"You said it in anger?"
"Yes." Very softly.
"Daney had come to you with an offer of monetary reward for your invaluable services to the McKaye family, had he not? And since what you did was not done for profit, you were properly infuriated and couldn't resist giving Daney the scare of his life? That was the way of it, was it not?"