“Then, take all the time you need. It doesn’t matter in the least about me. I am very comfortable, and only sorry I can’t help you.”
“But you do help me,” I said; “you help me a great deal. If you only knew how much, you——”
“Tell me about it,” she put in quickly—“what it is that has made us stop.”
I obeyed reluctantly. “It is this little spring.” I held it up. “You see, it closes the valve, and the end of it is broken, and the valve does not act as it should. The worst of the thing is that I have no substitute with me.”
“And you can’t mend the spring?”
“I’m going to try. But I must keep you waiting—perhaps quite a while.”
“And that is all that is worrying you? Won’t you forget I am here?”
“The one thing I cannot do,” I answered. I dropped the spring and stepped to the side of the car. “Margery!” I said. “Margery, don’t you understand? I can’t forget.”
“But you have forgotten!” she interposed instantly. “You have forgotten Edith.”
“Edith!” I ejaculated, in exasperation. “Edith may go to the devil for all I care!”