"I am afraid I cannot."
"Why cannot you?"—with an impatient but friendly little mocking imitation of his tone. "You are not"—with a conciliatory smile—"angry with an old hen for standing up for her own chick?"
Jim smiles too.
"I do not think that the old hen need have clucked quite so loudly; but that is not why I am leaving her; I must go."
"Where must you go?"
"To the Anglo-Américain."
She lifts her eyebrows.
"At this hour—you forget how early it is. Well, Amelia has got you into good training; but I can assure you that you will still find her in bed."
He sighs.
"I am afraid that there is not much doubt of that."