As Winthrope rose and came forward to join Miss Leslie, he looked about closely for the bruised flower. It was nowhere in sight.
"Er--beg pardon, Miss Genevieve, but did not Blake drop the bloom--er--blossom somewhere about here?"
"Perhaps he did," replied Miss Leslie. She spoke with studied indifference.
"I--ah--saw the fellow exhibit his impudence."
"You know, I think it high time the bounder is taken down a peg."
"Ah, indeed! Then why do you not try it?"
"Miss Genevieve! you know that at present I am physically so much his inferior--"
Though the girl's eyes were veiled by their lashes, she saw Winthrope cast after Blake a look that seemed to her almost fiercely vindictive.
"Well?" she said, smiling, but watching him closely.
"Mentally!--We'll soon see about that!" he muttered. "I must say, Miss Genevieve, it strikes me as deuced odd, you know, to hear you speak so pleasantly of a person who--not to mention past occurrences--has to-day, with the most shocking disregard of--er--decency--"
"Stop!--stop this instant!" screamed the girl, her nerves overwrought.
Winthrope smiled with complacent assurance.
"My dear young lady," he drawled, "allow me to repeat, 'All is fair in love and war.' Believe me, I love you most ardently."
"No gentleman would press his suit at such a time as this!"
"Really now, I fancy I have always comported myself as a gentleman--"
"A trifle too much so, truth to say!" she retorted.
"Ah, indeed. However, this is now quite another matter. Has it not occurred to you, my dear, that this entire experience of ours since that beastly storm is rather--er--compromising?"
"You--you dare say such a thing! I'll go this instant and tell Mr. Blake! I'll--"
"Begging your pardon, madam,--but are you prepared to marry that barbarous clodhopper?"
"Precisely that. It is a question of marriage, if you'll pardon me. And, you see, I flatter myself, that when it comes to the point, it will not be Blake, but myself--"
"Ah, indeed! And if I should prefer neither of you?"
"Begging your pardon,--I fancy you will honor me with your hand, my dear. For one thing, you admit that I am a gentleman."
"One moment, please! I am trying to intimate to you, as delicately as possible, how--er--embarrassing you would find it to have these little occurrences--above all, to-day's--noised abroad to the vulgar crowd, or even among your friends--"