"Oh!" said Pat. "That's terribly nice of you. If it weren't for you," she added viciously, "I'm afraid Cissie'd be having a dull time."
"I haven't noticed that she's had many dull moments," he answered, smiling slightly.
Pat stamped her foot. "Then you've been watching her all the time. I think you might have——" She choked a little.
"Night air too much for you, Pat?" he inquired solicitously.
"No; it isn't.... Aren't you going to ask me for a dance, Mr. Scott? You didn't last night, either."
"Surely your programme is already full to overflowing."
"It is. But I might do some shifty work with it."
"Thoughtful of you. But you would doubtless find it more amusing to sit out, or perhaps I should say stand out, the later dances in some remote nook with some attractive youth." He was speaking quite slowly and softly. "I might even say ... any attractive youth."
She moved closer to him, with puzzled eagerness in her eyes. "Won't you please tell me what you mean?"