He: “It was accidental at first—indeed it was; and then I recognized your voice; and then I knew you were talking about me; and I had so much at stake; and I did love you so dearly!”
She: “All that has nothing whatever to do with it. How much did you hear?”
He, with exemplary meekness: “Only what you were saying before Grinnidge came in. You didn’t whisper then. I had to wait there for him while”—
She: “While you were giving your good resolutions a rest?”
He: “While I was giving my good resolutions a rest.”
She: “And that accounts for your determination to humble yourself so?”
He: “It seemed perfectly providential that I should have known just what conditions you were going to exact of me.”
She: “Oh, don’t make light of it! I can tell you it’s a very serious matter.”
He: “It was very serious for me when you didn’t meet my self-abasement as you had led me to expect you would.”
She: “Don’t make fun! I’m trying to think whether I can forgive you.”