Alpha Book

A pretty woman upset him very easily even under normal
circumstances. But beauty in distress knocked him flat--as it does every
wholesome boy who is worth his salt.
And he said so in his own naive fashion; and the more eloquent he grew
the more excited he grew and the deeper and blacker appeared her wrongs
to him.
At first she humoured him, and rather enjoyed his fresh, eager sympathy;
after a little his increasing ardour inclined her to laugh; but it was
very splendid and chivalrous and genuine ardour, and the inclination to
laugh died out, for emotion is contagious, and his earnestness not only
flattered her legitimately but stirred the slackened tension of her
heart-strings until, tightening again, they responded very faintly.
"I had no idea that _you_ were lonely," he declared.
"Sometimes I am, a little, Gerald." She ought to have known better.
Perhaps she did.
"Well," he began, "couldn't I come and--"
"No, Gerald."
"I mean just to see you sometimes and have another of these jolly
talks--"
"Do you call this a jolly talk?"--with deep reproach.


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