I don't
see anything wrong in it, even if Buck Edwards has shown me a good
deal of attention."
But this very meekness of hers seemed to arouse all the violence in my
nature.
"I won't have it!" I said. "You have no right to receive presents from
men. I tell you I won't have it! You've no right!"
"Haven't I?" she suddenly said in the most curious, cool little voice,
her eyes falling before mine. "Haven't I? I didn't know."
It was quite chilling, her tone and manner. I was cool in an instant.
Things seemed to mean so much more than I had supposed they did. I
mean to say, it was a fair crumpler. She paused in her wiping of the
glass but did not regard me. I was horribly moved to go to her, but
coolly remembered that that sort of thing would never do.
"I trust I have said enough," I remarked with entirely recovered
dignity.
"You have," she said.
"I mean I won't have such things," I said.
"I hear you," she said, and fell again to her work. I thereupon
investigated an ice-box and found enough matter for complaint against
the Hobbs boy to enable me to manage a dignified withdrawal to the
rear. The remarkable creature was humming again as I left.
I stood in the back door of the Grill giving upon the alley, where I
mused rather excitedly.
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