XXVI

But why lonely? She idly fingered a new book on the table and then put it down sharply. There had been several attempts at reading aloud between them some evenings ago, and this book reminded her of them. She had bought Jane Addams‚Äô ‚ÄúNewer Ideals of Peace,‚Äù and he had yawned over it undisguisedly. Then he had brought this novel, and‚ÅÝ‚Äîwell, she had balked at the second chapter, and he had kissed her and called her his ‚Äúlittle prude.‚Äù She did not want to be a prude; she hated to seem so, and had for some time prided herself on emancipation from narrow New England prejudices. For example, she had not objected to wine at dinner; it had seemed indeed rather fine, imparting, as it did, an old-fashioned flavor; but she did not like the whiskey, and Harry at times appeared to become just a bit too lively‚ÅÝ‚Äînothing excessive, of course, but his eyes and the smell and the color were a little too suggestive. And yet he was so kind and good, and when he came in at evening he bent so gallantly for his kiss, and laid fresh flowers before her: could anything have been more thoughtful and knightly?