Of course I knew you would be. The
leader of cotillions--"
"That's the second time I've had that accusation flung at me under this
roof," said he, and his face clouded as quickly as it had lighted. "I am
beginning to wonder what kind of a crime you people think it to be a
leader of cotillions. As a matter of fact, I'm not one, for I never
accept the part when I can by any chance get out of it."
"You have the enviable reputation of being the most accomplished person
in that role the town can produce. You should be proud of it."
He pulled up a chair in front of her and sat down, looking--or trying to
look--straight into her eyes.
"See here, Miss Gray," said he with sudden earnestness, "if that's the
only thing you think I can do you're certainly rating me pretty low."
"I'm not rating you at all. I don't know enough about you."
"That's a harder blow than the other one." He tried to speak lightly,
but chagrin was in his face. "If you'd just added 'and don't want to
know' you'd have finished your work of making me feel about three feet
high."
"Would you prefer to be made to feel eight feet? Plenty of people will
do that for you.
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