and a man has a right to demand a totally different treatment."

"Why has he?"

"What?"

"I don't seem to be able to understand you at all, George. Why shouldn't
a boy be treated just as well as a man?"

George seemed to find himself at a loss. "Why shouldn't--Well, he
shouldn't, because a man has a right to certain explanations."

"What explanations?"

"Whether he's been made a toy of!" George almost shouted. "That's what I
want to know!"

Lucy shook her head despairingly. "You are the queerest person! You say
you're a man now, but you talk more like a boy than ever. What does make
you so excited?"

"'Excited!'" he stormed. "Do you dare to stand there and call me
'excited'? I tell you, I never have been more calm or calmer in my
life! I don't know that a person needs to be called 'excited' because he
demands explanations that are his simple due!"

"What in the world do you want me to explain?"

"Your conduct with Fred Kinney!" George shouted.

Lucy uttered a sudden cry of laughter; she was delighted. "It's been
awful!" she said. "I don't know that I ever heard of worse misbehaviour!
Papa and I have been twice to dinner with his family, and I've been
three times to church with Fred--and once to the circus! I don't know
when they'll be here to arrest me!"

"Stop that!" George commanded fiercely. "I want to know just one thing,
and I mean to know it, too!"

"Whether I enjoyed the circus?"

"I want to know if you're engaged to him!"

"No!" she cried and lifting her face close to his for the shortest
instant possible, she gave him a look half merry, half defiant, but all
fond. It was an adorable look.

"Lucy!" he said huskily.

But she turned quickly from him, and ran to the other end of the room.
He followed awkwardly, stammering:

"Lucy, I want--I want to ask you. Will you--will you--will you be
engaged to me?"

She stood at a window, seeming to look out into the summer darkness, her
back to him.

"Will you, Lucy?"

"No," she murmured, just audibly.

"Why not?"

"I'm older than you."

"Eight months!"

"You're too young."

"Is that--" he said, gulping--"is that the only reason you won't?"

She did not answer.

As she stood, persistently staring out of the window, with her back to
him, she did not see how humble his attitude had become; but his voice
was low, and it shook so that she could have no doubt of his emotion.
"Lucy, please forgive me for making such a row," he said, thus g