Don Carlos took his leave a few minutes later, leaving Myra and Tony
alone together, and again Myra could not make up her mind whether or
not to tell her fiancé what had happened. It happened that Tony, as
soon as they were alone, became particularly sentimental and wanted to
kiss her--a fact which somehow seemed to make the situation still more
difficult and complicated.
"I don't want to be kissed, Tony," Myra objected, when her lover tried
to embrace her. "I feel as if I never want to be kissed again, and I
don't want any love-making. Leave me alone!"
"You certainly are in a queer mood to-day, Myra," Tony commented.
"What has upset you, darling? You were quite rude to poor old Don
Carlos, and now you are snubbing me. What's the matter, old thing?"
"Oh, Tony, my dear, I--I don't know just what is the matter with me,
and I don't know what to do," exclaimed Myra, laughing tremulously and
feeling inclined to give way to tears. "I don't understand myself.
Oh, why are you so stupid? Why don't you make love to me and force me
to kiss you? Why don't you kiss and kiss me against my will?"
"Why, hang it all, Myra, I've just been trying to make love to you and
asking you to give me a kiss, and you wouldn't. Now--oh, dash it all,
I don't know what to make of you, my dear. You are a most puzzling
girl!"
"And you are the most exasperatingly dull man," Myra retorted, still
half-laughing, half-crying. "Oh, Tony, my dear, take care of me and
love me terribly if you want to keep me. Hold me fast and grapple me
to you with hooks of steel, or you will lose me."
She almost hurled herself into Tony's arms, buried her face in his
shoulder, and burst into tears. Tony did not know what to make of it
at all, and he felt utterly helpless. Agitatedly he patted her on the
back and stroked her hair.
"Myra, for heaven's sake don't cry," he said, in what was intended to
be a soothing tone. "You make me feel so bally awful. I've never seen
you crying before, and I can't make out what is the matter. What on
earth has upset you, darling? You're quite hysterical. Hadn't I
better ring for your maid, dear?"
Poor Tony did not realise how sadly he was blundering, how sorely he
was failing in an emergency.
"Oh, why can't you understand!" burst out Myra passionately. "Why
can't you love in the right way? Don't pat my head and my back as if I
were a pet dog, you ninny! Tony, I--I--oh, I can't bear it!"