I flirted with Mrs. Dawes. I thought, myself, that the thing might
begin to have that appearance, but I give you my word of honor that
as soon as the idea occurred to me, I dropped her--rather rudely,
too. The trouble was, don't you know, that I felt so perfectly safe
with a MARRIED friend of yours. I couldn't be hanging about you all
the time, and I was afraid I might vex you if I went with the other
girls; and I didn't know what to do."

MISS GALBRAITH: "I think you behaved rather silly, giggling so much
with her. But" -

MR. RICHARDS: "I own it, I know it was silly. But" -

MISS GALBRAITH: "It wasn't that; it wasn't that!"

MR. RICHARDS: "Was it my forgetting to bring you those things from
your mother?"

MISS GALBRAITH: "No!"

MR. RICHARDS: "Was it because I hadn't given up smoking yet?"

MISS GALBRAITH: "You KNOW I never asked you to give up smoking. It
was entirely your own proposition."

MR. RICHARDS: "That's true. That's what made me so easy about it.
I knew I could leave it off ANY time. Well, I will not disturb you
any longer, Miss Galbraith." He throws his overcoat across his arm,
and takes up his travelling-bag. "I have failed to guess your fatal-
-conundrum; and I have no longer any excuse for remaining. I am