"And--you're not going to let her, are you?"
"Why not?"
"Because it's--it's idiotic!" said Smith, warmly. "I don't believe in such things--you don't, either--nobody does--but, all the same, you can't be perfectly sure in these days what devilish sort of game you might be up against."
Brown smiled. "I told her, very politely, that I found it quite impossible to believe in such things; and she was awfully nice about it, and said it didn't matter what I believed. It seems that my name was chosen by chance--they opened the Telephone Directory at random and she, blindfolded, made a pencil mark on the margin opposite one of the names on the page. It happened to be my name. That's all."
"Wouldn't let her do it!" said Smith, seriously.
"Why not, as long as there's absolutely nothing in it? Besides, if it pleases her to have a try why shouldn't she? Besides, I haven't the slightest intention or desire to woo or wed anybody, and I'd like to see anybody make me."
"Do you mean to say that you told her to go ahead?"
"Certainly," said Brown serenely. "And she thanked me very prettily. She's well bred--exceptionally."
"Oh! Then what did you do?"
"We talked a little while."