HE, taking her in his arms: "Forgive you? Of course I do. But you
must change this room at once, Ethel; you see you hear everything on
the other side, too."

SHE: "Oh, not if you whisper on this. You couldn't hear US?" At a
dubious expression of his: "You DIDN'T hear us? If you did, I can
never forgive you!"

HE: "It was accidental at first--indeed it was; and then I
recognized your voice; and then I knew you were talking about me; and
I had so much at stake; and I did love you so dearly!"

SHE: "All that has nothing whatever to do with it. How much did you
hear?"

HE, with exemplary meekness: "Only what you were saying before
Grinnidge came in. You didn't whisper then. I had to wait there for
him while" -

SHE: "While you were giving your good resolutions a rest?"

HE: "While I was giving my good resolutions a rest."

SHE: "And that accounts for your determination to humble yourself
so?"

HE: "It seemed perfectly providential that I should have known just
what conditions you were going to exact of me."

SHE: "Oh, don't make light of it! I can tell you it's a very