"Michael!!!"
"What?" said I, annoyed at being checked in my fine frenzy.
"Is—is that courtship?"
"Certainly! Did you never hear of a troubadour? I'm improvising and for God's sake don't interrupt me."
At that she relapsed into meek silence. But I had lost my momentum. It was all off; she had ruined that totally unexpected burst of inspired fluency which had astonished and intoxicated me, whatever it had done to her.
"Damnation," I said.
"Forgive me, Michael. I'm so truly repentant.... And it was very, very beautiful."
"It wasn't so bad," I admitted, mollified. "I had no idea I could do it, Thusis."
"It was—agreeable. I liked it. Will you forgive me? Because when I interrupted I punished myself most of all."
"You sweet little thing!——"