"To be in love?" she asked, arching her eyebrows.
"No. For him to be in love," I said.
"If he is unhappily so, I should be sorry," she answered.
"And you would not be jealous?" I asked.
"Ah, Baron Ned!" she returned, protestingly.
CHAPTER VI
SWEET BETTY PICKERING
When we knocked at Hamilton's door, he answered, "Come," and I entered,
Betty closing the door behind me, leaving George and me together. He
was lying on the bed, his head and arms bandaged, and a feverish gleam
shining in his eyes. I went toward him, offering my hand. He rose and sat
on the edge of the bed, but did not accept my greeting. I was about to
speak when he lifted his hand to interrupt me, saying coldly:--
"Well, Clyde, what do you want?"
"I want to see you and help you, if I can," I answered, in surprise.
"Now that you have seen me, you may go," he returned.
I did not know the cause of his ill feeling, though I knew that something
had happened to turn him against me, so I stood my ground and answered:--
"I shall go if you insist, but before I go, please tell me in what manner
I have offended you. Neither you nor I have so many friends that we can
afford to lose one without an effort to save him. The world is full of
men and women, but a friend is a gift of God. I thought you had forgiven
me what I said at Sundridge. Your time to take offence was then, not
now."
"I hold no ill will for what you said then in my hearing.
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