Part 62 (2/2)
”Well, for the sake of argument we may imagine ourselves such.”
”To be logical, then, I must tell you something of which I have not yet spoken to any one. I called on Adah the evening I learned she was in town, and I saw her enter an elegant coupe driven by a coachman in stunning livery. A millionaire of your acquaintance accompanied her.”
”What!” she exclaimed, her face becoming fairly radiant.
I nodded very significantly.
”For shame, Mr. Morton! What a gossip you are!” but her laugh rang out like a chime of silver bells.
At that moment Mr. Yocomb appeared on the piazza, and he applauded loudly, ”Good for thee, Emily,” he cried, ”that sounds like old times.”
”Come away, quick,” I said, and I strode rapidly around the barn.
”Do you expect me to keep up with you?” she asked, stopping short and looking so piquant and tempting that I rejoined her instantly.
”I'll go as slow as you please. I'll do anything under heaven you bid me.”
”You treat Mr. Yocomb very shabbily.”
”You won't make me go after him, will you?”
”Why, Mr. Morton? What base ingrat.i.tude and after such a dinner, too.”
”You know how ill-balanced I am.”
”I fear you are growing worse and worse.”
”I am, indeed. Left to myself, I should be the most unbalanced man in the world.”
”Mr. Morton, your mind is clearly unsettled. I detected the truth the first day I saw you.”
”No, my mind, such as it is, is made up irrevocably and forever. I must tell you that I can't afford to keep a coupe.”
”There is a beautiful sequence in your remarks. Then you ought not to keep one. But why complain. There are always omnibuses within call.”
”Are you fond of riding in an omnibus?”
”What an irrelevant question! Suppose I followed your example, and ask what you think of the Copernican system?” ”You can't be ill-balanced if you try, and your question is not in the least irrelevant. The Copernican system is true, and ill.u.s.trates my position exactly. There is a heavenly body, radiant with light and beauty, that attracts me irresistibly. The moment I came within her influence my orbit was fixed.”
”Isn't your orbit a little eccentric?” she asked, with averted face.
”Still your figure may be very apt. Another body of greater attraction would carry you off into s.p.a.ce.”
”There is no such body in existence.”
”Mr. Morton, we were talking about omnibuses.”
”And you have not answered my question.”
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