I glanced at my watch and said coolly, "What's on your mind, Miss?"
"I'm in love with you!" She said it breathlessly.
I had trouble suppressing a groan. "Why?" I said, though I knew well enough.
"You're the one who did it!" she replied. "Did you think that, recognizing you, I would ever let you go?"
"What do you want me to do about it?"
"Marry me."
"That'd be no good for you," I said. "I would never be at home. I keep all kinds of hours. Your life would be worse than that of the wife of any traveling salesman. Besides," I added, "I don't love you."
Usually that floors them. But not this one. She rocked with the punch and calmly pointed at my violin case.
"You can remedy that," she said.
"Why in Hades should I? Do you think any sane person would deliberately hurt himself in that manner?"