"Perhaps she would not care to go into her husband's liabilities before a--a str--before a third person!" "Two is company and three is none, in fact," say I, with a slight relapse into the disdainful and snorting mood.
He looks distressed, but attempts no argument or explanation.
"How far did you mean me to come, then ?" say I, half ashamed of my humors, but still with an after-thought of pettishness in my voice.
"Escort you to the hall-door, I suppose, and kick my heels among the laurestines until such time as all Mr.Huntley's bills are paid ?" He turns away.
"It is of no consequence," he says, with a slight shade of impatience, and a stronger shade of disappointment in his voice.

"I see that you do not wish it, but what I meant was, that you might have walked with me as far as the gate, so that on this first day we might lose as little of each other's society as possible." "And so I will!" cry I, impulsively, with a rush of tardy repentance.
"I--I--_meant_ to come all along.

I was only--only--_joking_!" But to both of us it seems but a sorry jest.

We set forth, and walk side by side through the park.

Both of us are rather silent.