"No, you mightn't. You've liked to come here and talk to me."
"Because I like books. And you talk like a book."
"That was before I fell in love. I didn't talk like a book just now."
"When you took my hand! More like a book than ever. I've read it
all--lots of times."
"Oh, Eil--Miss O'Keeffe--you are very cruel."
Eileen smiled. "I am not--I'm very kind--I threw you back into the
water."
He gasped, as though out of it again. "Do you mean I am not grown
enough?"
She flushed and improvised on his theme. "Not quite that. You hooked
yourself, as you threatened to do. But suppose I had landed you. You know
the next step--hot water. What a lot you would have got into, too!"
"You are thinking of my mother?"
"Yes, raising Cain, I think you said once. Oh, dear, swim about and be
thankful." And a vision of Mrs. Maper's amazement twitched the corners of
her lips and made them more enchanting.
"I'm not so cold-blooded as all that. But if you do throw me back, let it
be with the promise to take me again, when I _am_ grown. I don't say it
to tempt you, but you know I shall be very rich."
"Indigestible, do you mean?"
"Oh, please let us drop that metaphor! Metaphors can never go on all
fours."
"Certainly not when they have fins."
"Don't jest, Eil--Miss O'Keeffe! Let me redeem you from your sordid
life."
"Why is it sordid? You said work was divine."
"You can work in a higher sphere."
"And this is the Socialist! I really thought you'd want me to turn
factory lass."
"You are laughing at me."
"I am perfectly serious. I won't drag you down from Socialism, and a
head-shawl wouldn't become me."
"Why, you'd look sweet in it. Dear, dear, Miss O'Keeffe--"
"Good-by."
"No, you shan't go." He barred her way. Her airiness had given him new
hope.
"If you don't behave sensibly, I'll go altogether--give notice."
"Then I'll follow you to your next place."
"No followers allowed. Seriously, I'll leave if you are foolish."
"Very well," he said abruptly. "Let's go on reading Plato," and he turned
to the book.
"No, no more Dialogues, in or out of Plato."
She was smiling but stern. He opened the library door and bowed as she
passed out.
"Remember," he said. "I will remain foolish for ever."
"You have too long an opinion of yourself," was Eileen's parting flash.