Page:The Awkward Age (New York, Harper and Brothers, 1899).djvu/432

THE AWKWARD AGE XXXVI

"But surely you're not going already?" she asked. "Why in the world then do you suppose I appealed to you?"

"Bless me, no; I've lots of time." He dropped, laughing for very eagerness, straight into another chair. "You're too awfully interesting. Is it really an 'appeal'?" Putting the question indeed, he could scarce even yet allow her a chance to answer it. "It's only that you make me a little nervous with your account of all the people who are going to tumble in. And there's one thing more," he quickly went on; "I just want to make the point in case we should be interrupted. The whole fun is in seeing you this way alone."

"Is that the point?" Nanda, as he took breath, gravely asked.

"That's a part of it—I feel it, I assure you, to be charming. But what I meant—if you'd only give me time, you know, to put in a word—is, what, for that matter, I've already told you: that it almost spoils my pleasure for you to keep reminding me that a bit of luck like this—luck for me: I see you coming!—is after all, for you, but a question of business. Hang business! Good—don't stab me with that paper-knife. I listen. What is the great affair?" Then as it looked for an instant as if the words she had prepared had just, in the supreme pinch of her need, fallen apart, he once more tried his advantage. "Oh, if there's any difficulty about it, let it go—we'll take it for granted. There's one thing, at any rate—do let me say this—that I should like you to keep before me: I want, before I go, to make you light up for me the question of little Aggie. Oh, there are other questions too as to which I regard you as a perfect fountain of curious knowledge! However, we'll take 422