It hurt her to say no. Indeed, she could not bring herself to say it. In
all her short life she had never willfully inflicted a wound. And because
she was young, and did not realize that there is a short cruelty, like the
surgeon's, that is mercy in the end, she temporized.

"There is such a lot of time before we need think of such things! Can't we
just go on the way we are?"

"I'm not very happy the way we are."

"Why, Joe!"

"Well, I'm not"--doggedly. "You're pretty and attractive. When I see a
fellow staring at you, and I'd like to smash his face for him, I haven't
the right."

"And a precious good thing for you that you haven't!" cried Sidney, rather
shocked.

There was silence for a moment between them. Sidney, to tell the truth,
was obsessed by a vision of Joe, young and hot-eyed, being haled to the
police station by virtue of his betrothal responsibilities. The boy was
vacillating between relief at having spoken and a heaviness of spirit that
came from Sidney's lack of enthusiastic response.

"Well, what do you think about it?"

"If you are asking me to give you permission to waylay and assault every
man who dares to look at me--"