"I may as well tell you at the outset, Mr. Schmidt, that I've never--
_never_--done a thing like this before," she said, an uneasy note in
her voice.
"I am quite sure of that," said he, "and therefore confess to a vast
wealth of satisfaction."
"What _do_ you think of me?"
"I think that you are frightened almost out of your boots," said he
boldly.
"No, I'm not," said she resolutely. "I am only conscious of feeling
extremely foolish."
"I shouldn't feel that way about stealing off for a cup of tea," said
he. "It's all quite regular, you know, and is frequently done in the
very best circles when the cat's away."
"You see, I couldn't quite scrape up the courage to go directly to
the hotel for you," she said. "I know several people who are stopping
there and I--I--well, you won't think I'm a dreadful person, will
you?"
"Not at all," he declared promptly. Then he resolved to put one of
the questions he had made up his mind to ask at the first
opportunity. "Do you mind telling me why you abandoned me so
completely, so heartlessly on the day we landed?"
"Because there was no reason why I should act otherwise, Mr.
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