“Great Scott!” he exclaimed, looking at her, “no wonder you made mince-meat of the Honorable Heth. Where did you learn it all, Cynthia?”
Cynthia did not know. She merely wondered where she would be if she hadn't learned it. Something told her that if it were not for this anchor she would be drifting out to sea: might, indeed, soon be drifting out to sea in spite of it. It was one thing for Mr. Robert Worthington, with his numerous resources, to amuse himself with a girl in her position; it would be quite another thing for the girl. She got to her feet and held out her hand to him.
“Good-by,” she said.
“Good-by?”
“We are leaving Washington at one o'clock, and Uncle Jethro will be worried if I am not in time for dinner.”
“Leaving at one! That's the worst luck I've had yet. But I'm going back to the hotel myself.”
Cynthia didn't see how she was to prevent him walking with her. She would not have admitted to herself that she had enjoyed this encounter, since she was trying so hard not to enjoy it. So they started together out of the park. Bob, for a wonder, was silent awhile, glancing now and then at her profile. He knew that he had a great deal to say, but he couldn't decide exactly what it was to be. This is often the case with young men in his state of mind: in fact, to be paradoxical again, he might hardly be said at this time to have had a state of mind. He lacked both an attitude and a policy.
“If you see Duncan before I do, let me know,” he remarked finally.
Cynthia bit her lip. “Why should I?” she asked.
“Because we've only got five minutes more alone together, at best. If we see him in time, we can go down a side street.”