Mrs. Somers, putting hers behind her: "You"ve shaken hands once.
Besides, who said I wished you to go?"
Campbell: "Do you wish me to stay?"
Mrs. Somers: "I wish you to--hand tea to people."
Campbell: "And you won"t say anything more?"
Mrs. Somers: "It seems to me that"s enough."
Campbell: "It isn"t enough for me. But I suppose beggars mustn"t be choosers. I can"t stay merely to hand tea to people, however. You can say yes or no now, Amy, as well as at any other time."
Mrs. Somers: "Well, no, then--if you wish it so much."
Campbell: "You know I don"t wish it."
Mrs. Somers: "You gave me my choice. I thought you were indifferent about the word."
Campbell: "You know better than that, Amy."
Mrs. Somers: "Amy again! Aren"t you a little previous, Mr. Campbell?"
Campbell, with a sigh: "Ah, that"s for you to say."
Mrs. Somers: "Wouldn"t it be impolite?"
Campbell; "Oh, not for _you_."
Mrs. Somers: "If you"re so sarcastic, I shall be afraid of you."
Campbell: "Under what circ.u.mstances?"
Mrs. Somers, dropping her eyes: "I don"t know." He makes a rush upon her. "Oh! here comes Mrs. Curwen! Shake hands, as if you were going."
IX
_MRS. CURWEN; MRS. SOMERS; MR. CAMPBELL_
Mrs. Curwen: "What! is Mr. Campbell going, _too_?"
Mrs. Somers: "Too? _You"re_ not going, Mrs. Curwen?"
Mrs. Curwen: "Yes, I"m going. The likeness is perfect, Mrs. Somers. It"s a speaking likeness, if there ever was one."
Campbell: "Did it do all the talking?"
Mrs. Curwen: "It would--if Mrs. Roberts and Dr. Lawton hadn"t been there. Well, I must go."
Campbell: "So must I."
Mrs. Somers, in surprise: "_Must_ you?"
Campbell: "Yes; these drifts will be over my ears directly."
Mrs. Curwen: "You poor man! You don"t mean to say you"re _walking_?"
Campbell: "I shall be, in about half a minute."
Mrs. Curwen: "Indeed you shall not! You shall be driving--with me. I"ve a vacancy in the coupe, and I"ll set you down wherever you like."
Campbell: "Won"t it crowd you?"
Mrs. Curwen: "Not at all."
Campbell: "Or incommode you in any way?"
Mrs. Curwen: "It will oblige me in every way."
Campbell: "Then I will go, and a thousand thanks. Good-by again, Mrs.
Somers."
Mrs. Curwen: "Good-by, Mrs. Somers. Poor Mrs. Somers! It seems too bad to leave you here alone, bowed in an elegiac att.i.tude over your tea-urn."
Mrs. Somers: "Oh, not at all! Remember me to _Mr._ Curwen."
Mrs. Curwen: "I will. Well, Mr. Campbell--"
Mrs. Somers: "Mr. Campbell--"
Campbell: "Well?"
Mrs. Curwen: "To which?"
Campbell: "Both."
Mrs. Somers: "Neither!"
Mrs. Curwen: "Ah! ha, ha, ha! Mr. Campbell, do you know much about women?"
Campbell: "I had a mother."
Mrs. Curwen: "Oh, a _mother_ won"t do."
Campbell: "Well, I have an only sister who is a woman."