The girl had been considering his answer, and now she spoke.

"Of course," she said gravely, "you are not sincere when you say your
primal reason for leaving would be in order to set me free. Of course
you are not sincere."

"Is insincerity necessarily added to my numerous physical infirmities?"
he bantered.

"Not necessarily. But there is always the love to make a virtue of
necessity--especially when there's some one waiting on necessity."

"But did I say that would be my primal reason for leaving--setting you
free? I thought I merely stated it as one of the following blessings
attendant on virtue."

"Equivocation means that you were not sincere. Why don't you go, then?"

"Eh?" Garrison looked up sharply at the tone of her voice.

"Why don't you go? Hurry up! Reward the clinging girl and set me free."

"Is there such a hurry? Won't you let me ferret out a pair of pajamas,
to say nothing of good-bys?"

"How silly you are!" she said coldly, rising. "The question, then, rests
entirely with you. Whenever you make up your mind to go--"

"Couldn't we let it hang fire indefinitely? Perhaps you could learn
to love me. Then there would be no need to go." Garrison smiled