"Have you ever taken the poor child out to dinner?" Barbara asked sternly.
He stood before her in the confusion of a schoolboy detected in a lapse from grace, stammering explanations. Then Liosha rose, and I noticed just the faintest little twitching of her lip.
"I don't want Jaff Chayne to be made to take me out to dinner against his will."
"But—God bless my soul! I should love to take you out. I never thought of it because I never take anybody out. I'm a barbarian, my dear girl, just like yourself. If you wanted to be taken out, why on earth didn't you say so?"
Liosha regarded him steadily. "I would rather cut my tongue out."
Jaffery returned her gaze for a few seconds, then turned away puzzled. There seemed to be an unnecessary vehemence in Liosha's tone. He turned again and approached her with a smiling face.
"I only meant that I didn't know you cared for that sort of thing, Liosha. You must forgive me. Come and dine with me at the Carlton this evening and do a theatre afterwards."
"No, I wont!" cried Liosha. "You insult me."
Her cheeks paled and she shook in sudden wrath. She looked magnificent. Jaffery frowned.
"I think I'll have to be a bit of a dragon after all."