'
'No, dear Elfride; I love you dearly.'
'And I don't like you to tell me so warmly about him when you are
in the middle of loving me. Stephen, suppose that I and this man
Knight of yours were both drowning, and you could only save one of
us----'
'Yes--the stupid old proposition--which would I save?
'Well, which? Not me.'
'Both of you,' he said, pressing her pendent hand.
'No, that won't do; only one of us.'
'I cannot say; I don't know. It is disagreeable--quite a horrid
idea to have to handle.'
'A-ha, I know. You would save him, and let me drown, drown,
drown; and I don't care about your love!'
She had endeavoured to give a playful tone to her words, but the
latter speech was rather forced in its gaiety.
At this point in the discussion she trotted off to turn a corner
which was avoided by the footpath, the road and the path reuniting
at a point a little further on. On again making her appearance
she continually managed to look in a direction away from him, and
left him in the cool shade of her displeasure. Stephen was soon
beaten at this game of indifference. He went round and entered
the range of her vision.
'Are you offended, Elfie? Why don't you talk?'
'Save me, then, and let that Mr. Clever of yours drown. I hate
him. Now, which would you?'
'Really, Elfride, you should not press such a hard question. It
is ridiculous.'
'Then I won't be alone with you any more.
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