"Yes. Why not?"
"There's no reason why you shouldn't if you wish to," she replied, picking up her frame.
"Anything I can get you?" he asked.
"No, thank you."
"You've been in such a deuced queer mood the last few days I can't make you out, Honora."
"You ought to have learned something about women by this time," she said.
"It seems to me," he announced, "that we need a little livening up."
CHAPTER XVII
THE RENEWAL OF AN ANCIENT HOSPITALITY
There were six letters from him, written from a club, representing the seven days of his absence. He made no secret of the fact that his visit to the metropolis was in the nature of a relaxation and a change of scene, but the letters themselves contained surprisingly little information as to how he was employing his holiday. He had encountered many old friends, supposedly all of the male sex: among them—most welcome of surprises to him!—Mr. George Pembroke, a boon companion at Harvard. And this mention of boon companionship brought up to Honora a sufficiently vivid idea of Mr. Pembroke's characteristics. The extent of her knowledge of this gentleman consisted in the facts that he was a bachelor, a member of a prominent Philadelphia family, and that time hung heavy on his hands.