"Why didn't you?" she retorted with great reason.
"Because I didn't think he was just in the humor for it." He began to
laugh as he sketched their encounter with the gendarme, but she did not
seem to think it amusing; and he became serious again. "Besides, I was
afraid she was going to blubber, any way."
"She wouldn't have blubbered, as you call it. I don't know why you need
be so disgusting! It would have given her just the moral support she
needed. Now she will have to tell him herself, and he will blame us. You
ought to have spoken; you could have done it easily and naturally when
you came up with her. You will have yourself to thank for all the trouble
that comes of it, now, my dear."
He shouted in admiration of her skill in shifting the blame on him. "All
right! I should have had to stand it, even if you hadn't behaved with
angelic wisdom."
"Why," she said, after reflection, "I don't see what either of us has
done. We didn't get Burnamy to come here, or connive at his presence in
any way."
"Oh! Make Triscoe believe that! He knows you've done all you could to
help the affair on."
"Well, what if I have? He began making up to Mrs. Adding himself as soon
as he saw her, to-night. She looked very pretty."
"Well, thank Heaven! we're off to-morrow morning, and I hope we've seen
the last of them. They've done what they could to spoil my cure, but I'm
not going to have them spoil my aftercure."