"
"So I am unsophisticated, am I?" he asked grimly.
"Yes," she said nodding; "at least you impress me so."
"I'm glad of that," he said after a little pause.
She looked up quickly.
"Truly?"
"Yes, indeed."
"Oh," she laughed, "if you say that, then I shall know that you are less
unsophisticated than I thought you were."
"Why so?" he asked surprised.
"Don't you know that meek, mild men always try to insinuate that they are
regular fire-eaters, and vice versa? Well, it's so--and it's so every time.
There was once a man who was kissing me, and he drew my hands up around
his neck in such a clever, gentle way that I was absolutely positive that
he had had no end of practice drawing arms up in that way and I just
couldn't help saying: 'Oh, how many women you must have kissed!' What do
you think he answered?--merely smiled and said: 'Not so many as you might
imagine.' He showed how much he knew by the way he answered, for oh! he
had. I found that out afterwards."
"What did you do then?" he asked, frowning. "Cut him?"
"No; I married him. Why, of course I was going to marry him when he kissed
me, or I wouldn't have let him kiss me. Do you suppose I let men kiss me
as a general thing? What are you thinking of?"
"I was thinking of you," he said. "It's a horrible habit I've fallen into
lately. But, never mind; keep on talking."
"I don't remember what I was saying," she said. "Oh, yes, I do too. About
men, about good and bad men.
Pages:
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203