"You don't mean to say--"
"Yes; I'm Dorothy. I'm sick of it too."
"Dorothy!" I cried. "By the way, let me introduce you. Reginald,
this is Dorothy. She's sick of it too."
"Thanks," said Reginald coldly. "We have met before."
"Surely not. Just let me look a moment.... No, I thought not. You
don't meet till the next paragraph. If you wouldn't mind taking a
seat, I shan't be a moment."
Reginald stood up.
"Look here," he said. "Do you know who I am?"
"You're just Reginald," I said; "and there's no need to stand about
looking so dignified, because I only thought of you ten minutes ago,
and if you're not careful I shall change your name to Harold. You're
Reginald, and you're going to meet Dorothy in the next paragraph,
and you'll flirt with her mildly for about two columns. And at the
end, I expect--no, I am almost sure, that you will propose and be
accepted."
"Never," said Reginald angrily.
"That's what we've come about," said Dorothy.