Pagina 81 van 439

He glanced at her in quick surprise, then made the mistake of

letting himself smile at her frosty aloofness instead of being

crestfallen by it. She happened to look round and catch that

smile before he could extinguish it. Her petulance hardened

instantly to a resolution.

"I don't quite know what we're going to do about it--unless you

walk," he proposed, amused at the absurdity of his suggestion.

"That's just what I'm going to do," she retorted promptly.

"What!" He wheeled on her with an astonished smile on his face.

This served merely to irritate her.

"I said I was going to walk."

"Walk seventeen miles?"

"Seventy if I choose."

"Nonsense! Of course you won't."

Her eyebrows lifted in ironic demurrer. "I think you must let me

be the judge of that," she said gently.

"Walk!" he reiterated. "Why, you're walked out. You couldn't go a

mile. What do you take me for? Think I'm going to let you come

that on me."

"I don't quite see how you can help it, Mr. Neill," she answered.