The faint smile was still upon his face, though it did not reach his
eyes. He laid a reassuring hand upon her shoulder.

"My dear little Chris," he said, "I won't let you do that."

That comforted her a little, though she still looked doubtful. She
suffered him to lead her to a sofa and sit beside her, but she avoided
his eyes. The crisis had come upon her so suddenly, she knew not how to
deal with it.

"Has no one ever proposed to you before?" he said.

"No," she whispered.

"Well, it's all right," he said kindly. "Don't think I am going to trade
on your inexperience. If you want to say 'No' to me, say it, and I'll go.
I shall come back again, of course. I shall keep on coming back till you
say 'Yes' either to me or to some other man. But I hope it won't be
another man, Chris. I want you so badly myself."

"Do you?" she said. "How--how funny!"

"Why funny?" he asked.

She glanced at him speculatively; her panic was beginning to subside.
"You must be ever so much older than I am," she said.

"I am thirty-five," he said.