'Pretty snappy to-day, ain't we?' said he.
'Yes, when we're snapped at,' said she.
There was a silence that ran on into seconds and tens of seconds.
Then, acting on an impulse of astonishing suddenness, he sprang toward her.
With almost equal agility she stepped away. But he caught one hand.
She had the door-knob in her other hand. She drew the door open, then, indecisively, pushed it nearly to.
'Be careful!' she whispered. 'They'll hear!'
She made a small effort to free her hand. For a moment they stood tugging at each other.
When Henry spoke, in an effort to appear the off-hand man of the world he assuredly was not, his voice sounded weak and husky.
'Whew—strong!'