“He means so very well, Molly!” Mrs. Wilbur exclaimed with some compassion.
“Yes, too well by me! He’s been trying not to do this thing ever since I have known you. He almost slipped twice, no, three times. This afternoon he didn’t want to do it one bit, and even at the end he made me feel that it was a condescension on his part.”
“Oh, Molly!”
“He began by thanking me profusely for all I had done for you. Told me the family were very appreciative of my efforts to save you from yourself, and to preserve the decencies of social life.”
Mrs. Wilbur winced.
“He said a great crisis was coming in your life now, and we two, Mr. Anthon and I, could help you so much in case—”
“The little hypocrite! Was that all?”
“Yes, about you then. I think the next event was that he tried to kiss me before he had really said anything—well, definite. He first took my hand, then insinuated his arm about my waist—we were in a dark corner under a wall—”
“Molly!”
“Well, we know him so well! and I wanted to see what it is like to have love made in that way. I felt like,—as if I were a maid, a servant. It was quite horrid! It might have been Pina. When he reached a certain point, just beyond the proper pressure for a waltz—I, I laughed.”