Page:Claire Ambler (1928).djvu/199

 "Mr. Orbison!" Claire laughed. "I'll remember you without your sending me a going-away corsage!"

"I hope so."

"You know darn well I will!" she said gayly. "I've certainly been brazen enough in showing you the devastating impression you made on me from the first. I've really pursued you in the most unmaidenly way, and I'm afraid I'd keep right on doing it if we were going to stay any longer. Fortunately for you, my mother's been simply dying for weeks to get back to Paris, and yesterday evening she reached such a climax of rebellion she just broke my spirit and I gave in. Lucky for you, I did!"

"No," he said. "I don't think that's very lucky for me, Miss Ambler."

"What? Not even after the scene I made yesterday afternoon because you scolded me for something I darn well deserved to be scolded for? You don't think you're lucky, even after that?"

"No," he said slowly. "Not even after—anything!"

For an instant, as he said this, she looked startled; then she laughed. "Well, then I'm the lucky one to be going, Mr. Orbison."

"Why?"