“How soberly you speak!” said Miss Van Tuyn, almost with an air of distaste.
After a moment of silence she added:
“I don’t believe an Englishman has the power to lose his head.”
Craven sat a little nearer to her.
“Would you like to see me lose mine?” he asked.
“I don’t say that. But I should like you to be able to.”
“And you? You are an American girl. Don’t you pride yourself on your coolness, your self-control, your power to deal with any situation? If Englishmen are sober minded, what about American women? Do they lose their heads easily?”
“No. That’s why—”
She stopped abruptly.
“What is it you want to say to me? What are you trying to say?”