“I’d love to if I could.”
“I’m not very exacting, am I? I don’t often ask you to do anything that’s a bother. Won’t you get out of your horrid engagement—just this once?”
“I’m awfully sorry, I don’t see how I can,” he replied sullenly.
“Tell me what it is,” she said coaxingly.
He had had time to invent something. “Griffiths’ two sisters are up for the week-end and we’re taking them out.”
“Is that all?” she said joyfully. “Griffiths can so easily get another man.”
He wished he had thought of something more urgent than that. It was a clumsy lie.
“No, I’m awfully sorry, I can’t—I’ve promised and I mean to keep my promise.”
“But you promised me too. Surely I come first.”
“I wish you wouldn’t persist,” he said.