"perhaps I'll get a thrill from that." Her voice
grew as cutting as a surgeon's polished knife.
"Please don't think I'm the kind of woman men
take out in the woods and kiss. You may have discovered
that I don't like kissing. I'm going to be
honester still -- last year, when you were mending
the minister's ice house, and hadn't a dollar, I wasn't
the smallest bit interested in you; and this year I
am. -- Not on account of the money itself," she was
careful to add, "but because of you and the money
together. Don't you see -- it changed you; it's perfectly
right that it should, and that I should recognize
it."

"That sounds fair enough," he agreed. "Now
the question is, what are we going to do together,
you and me and the money?"

"Would you do what I wanted?" she asked at his
shoulder.

"Would you?"

"Yes."

"We might try Richmond."

"Don't fool yourself," she returned hardily; "I
know all about those trial trips. Any man I go with
has got to go far: I don't intend to be left at some
pokey little way station with everything gone and
nothing accomplished."

"But," he objected, "a man who went with you
could never come back."

[[211]]

p210 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p211w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p212

v?