"Trust him for being calm and composed," I said. "None ever saw him
otherwise. He's a ruler of men for certain, but whether he's a ruler of
women remains to be seen--for that's a higher branch of larning, as we all
know."

Next day I went over and had a tell with Bob, and he said it weren't so
much my business as I appeared to think.

"There's no doubt it flurried us both a lot," he told me. "To you, as an
old married man, 'tis nothing; but for us, bachelor and spinster as we
are, it was a great adventure. But these things will out and I'm sorry she
took it so much to heart. 'Twas the surprise, I reckon--and me green at
the game. However, she'll get over it--give her time."

He didn't offer no apology nor nothing like that.

"Well," I said--in two minds what to say--"she've made it clear what her
feelings were, so I'll ask you not to let it occur again."

"She made it clear her feelings were very much upheaved," answered Bob;
"but she didn't make it clear what her feelings were; because she didn't
say 'yes' and she didn't say 'no.'"

"You don't understand nothing about women," I replied to him, "so you can
take it from me that 'tis no good trying no more. She's far too old in her
own opinion. In a word you shocked her. She was shaking like an aspen leaf
when she ran over to me."

Bob Battle nodded.