”Ididn’thavethatquiteinmind，butitwilldo。I’dpreferdoingthebrazenthingandhavingeverybodyknowit，todoingthefurtivethingandbeingfoundout。NotthatI’maskingtobeinvitedtolunch，”sheadded，withasmile；”butI’msureyouunderstandmyposition。””Thenwhynotrideopenandaboveboardwithmeinthehills？”heurged。Sheshookherheadwithwhatheimaginedwasjustthefaintesthintofregret，andhewentsuddenlyandalmostmaddeninglyhungryforher。”Lookhere，MissMason，Iknowyoudon’tlikethistalkingoverofthingsintheoffice。NeitherdoI。It’spartofthewholething，Iguess；amanain’tsupposedtotalkanythingbutbusinesswithhisstenographer。WillyouridewithmenextSunday，andwecantalkitoverthoroughlythenandreachsomesortofaconclusion。Outinthehillsistheplacewhereyoucantalksomethingbesidesbusiness。Iguessyou’veseenenoughofmetoknowI’mprettysquare。I-Idohonorandrespectyou，and……andallthat，andI……”Hewasbeginningtoflounder，andthehandthatrestedonthedeskblotterwasvisiblytrembling。Hestrovetopullhimselftogether。”Ijustwanttoharderthananythingeverinmylifebefore。I-I-Ican’texplainmyself，butIdo，that’sall。Willyou？——JustnextSunday？To-morrow？”
Nordidhedreamthatherlowacquiescencewasdue，asmuchasanythingelse，tothebeadsofsweatonhisforehead，histremblinghand，andhisalltoo-evidentgeneraldistress。BurningDaylight:PartII:ChapterXIVPartIIChapterXIV”Ofcourse，there’snowayoftellingwhatanybodywantsfromwhattheysay。”DaylightrubbedBob’srebelliousearwithhisquirtandponderedwithdissatisfactionthewordshehadjustuttered。Theydidnotsaywhathehadmeantthemtosay。”WhatI’mdrivingatisthatyousayflatfootedthatyouwon’tmeetmeagain，andyougiveyourreasons，buthowamItoknowtheyareyourrealreasons？Mebbeyoujustdon’twanttogetacquaintedwithme，andwon’tsaysoforfearofhurtingmyfeelings。
Don’tyousee？I’mthelastmanintheworldtoshoveinwhereI’mnotwanted。AndifIthoughtyoudidn’tcareawhooptoseeanythingmoreofme，why，I’dclearoutsoblamedquickyoucouldn’tseemeforsmoke。”
Dedesmiledathiminacknowledgmentofhiswords，butrodeonsilently。
Andthatsmile，hethought，wasthemostsweetlywonderfulsmilehehadeverseen。Therewasadifferenceinit，heassuredhimself，fromanysmileshehadevergivenhimbefore。