Other women's outbreaks had bored
him and generally had ended his interest in them--
this one was more charming than ever. He liked,
too, her American pluck and savage independence.
Jealous she certainly was, but there was no whine
about it; nor was there any flop at the close--floppy
women he detested--had always done so. Lucy
struck straight out from her shoulder and feared
nothing.
As she raged on, the grays beating the water with
their well-polished hoofs, he continued to sit perfectly
still, never moving a muscle of his face nor
changing his patient. tolerant expression. The best
plan, he knew, was to let all the steam out of the
boiler and then gradually rake the fires.
"My dear little woman,"' he began, "to tell you
the truth, I never laid eyes on Morton; didn't want
to, in fact. All that was an excuse to get away. I
thought you wanted a rest, and I went away to let
you have it. Miss Billeton I haven't seen for three
months, and couldn't if I would, for she is engaged
to her cousin and is now in Paris buying her wedding
clothes. I don't know who has been humbugging
you, but they've done it very badly. There is
not one word of truth in what you've said from beginning
to end.
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