ha, ha, ha!" She flies at Mrs. Somers and kisses
her. "You can't say I'm ill-natured, my dear, whatever I am!"

Mrs. Somers, pursuing her exit with the word: "No, merely atrocious." A
pause ensues, in which Campbell stands irresolute.

X

_MRS. SOMERS; MR. CAMPBELL_

Campbell, finally: "Did you wish me to stay, Amy?"

Mrs. Somers, airily: "I? Oh no! It was Mrs. Curwen."

Campbell: "Then I think I'll accept her kind offer of a seat in her
coupe."

Mrs. Somers: "Oh! I thought, of course, you'd stay--at _her_ request."

Campbell: "No; I shall only stay at yours."

Mrs. Somers: "And I shall not ask you. In fact, I warn you not to."

Campbell: "Why?"

Mrs. Somers: "Because, if you urge me to speak now, I shall say--"

Campbell: "I wasn't going to urge you."

Mrs. Somers: "No matter! I shall say it now without being urged. Yes,
I've made up my mind. I can't marry a flirt."

Campbell: "I can, Amy."

Mrs. Somers: "Sir!"

Campbell: "You know very well you sent those people into the other room
to keep me here and torment me--"

Mrs. Somers: "_Now_ you've _insulted_ me, and all _is_ over."

Campbell: "To tantalize me with your loveliness, your beauty, your
grace, Amy!"

Mrs. Somers, softening: "Oh, that's all very well--"

Campbell: "I'm glad you like it. I could go on at much greater length.
But you know I love you dearly, Amy, and why should you delight in my
agonies? But only marry me, and you shall delight in them as long as you
live, and--"

Mrs. Somers: "You must hold me very cheap to think I would take you from
that creature."

Campbell: "Confound her! I wasn't hers to give. I offered myself first."

Mrs. Somers: "She offered you last, and--no, thank you, please."

Campbell: "Do you really mean it?"

Mrs. Somers: "I shall not say. Or, yes, I _will_ say. If that woman, who
seems to have you at her beck and call, had not intermeddled, I might
have made you a very different answer. But now my eyes are opened, and I
see what I should have to expect, and--no, thank you, please."

Campbell: "And if she hadn't offered me--"

Mrs. Somers, drawing out her handkerchief and putting it to her eyes: "I
was feeling kindly towards you--I was such a little fool--"

Campbell: "Amy!"

Mrs. Somers: "And you knew how much I disliked her."

Campbell: "Yes, I saw by the way you kissed each other."

Mrs. Somers: "Nonsense! You knew that meant nothing. But if it had been
anybody else in the world bu