“Take the night to think over it,” said Georgia, trying to slip past him indoors; but he caught her hands and held her prisoner.
“You said just now ‘how could you learn to care for me?’ I thought you meant that it was impossible. Did you mean that there might be a chance? Just the one word, dear.”
“Yes,” said Georgia, in a voice which was somewhat muffled. “At least, I mean no. I have cared for you a long time.”
“What a beast I have been!” was the next coherent remark uttered by Dick.
“You were rather a trial,” was the murmured answer.
“But I am going to reform now, Georgie. You must pull me up if I let out at anything in which you have the smallest interest. But I could praise up the New Woman herself to-night.”
“Considering that I am the embodiment of the New Woman to your mind,” began Georgia, “that is a very poor——”
“I say, North, is there anything wrong? Haven’t you finished your rounds yet?” shouted Stratford, coming to the dining-room window with a half-smoked cigar in his fingers.
“No, it’s all right,” answered Dick’s voice, unexpectedly near at hand. “I’ll do the rounds in a minute.”