George waved his hands in a great gesture.
“But you don’t understand, dear. I care for you in a different way now; I’ve gotten over all my sentimental romanticism.”
Somehow this did not sound sincere or convincing to either Irma or himself. The girl straightened.
“How do I know that this is true, if you were just fooling on the boat?”
They were walking on a ledge that overhung the bay now, and the blue water of the Mediterranean gleamed in the moonlight thirty feet below. Irma looked at it, and a devilish glint came into her eye.
“George, if I jump into the sea, will you come after me?”
Assuredly this was carrying things too far, thought Ardrath. Irma had again taken him too seriously. But he maintained his poise.
“Of course; but don’t be a fool.”
“I hate sensible people,” she replied. “They always do the obvious thing. For a long while I’ve wanted to do something unusual, something quite unorthodox. George, I am going to dive in.”
It was impossible to stop her. Bent like the curve of a bow, her slender body arched as it plunged into the water.