ads.
I suppose you never knew how that could be, Bob."

"I never was in exactly such a scrape as that; but I've been near enough
to imagine, and make allowances. Your friend must have thought a good
deal of the lady, in spite of his insulting her. He apologized, of
course?"

"Certainly, and then took himself off, and kept out of her way ever
after. It was all he could do."

"Just how did he insult her? It could hardly have been intentional."

"O no. He had had misfortunes, or something of the kind, and she took a
humane interest in him--tried to help him, no doubt. Women often do such
things, I believe; it is very creditable to them, but liable to be
dangerous in a case like this, for men are sometimes fools enough to
misinterpret it. Well, this particular beast took it into his wooden
head that she cared for him--in a personal way, you know; and--you
wouldn't think a man could be such an infernal ape, would you?--he told
her so."

"He planned beforehand to tell her so--thought that was the right card
to play, the proper way of wooing?"

"You make him worse than he was. It came out unawares--he was surprised
into it. The conversation took a certain turn, and he misunderstood for
a moment. That was all, and it was quite enough."

"What did the lady do then?"

"She was naturally and properly indignant and contemptuous; made him see
his place. He took it, and took his departure."

"Did it never enter your friend's wise head that he might have
mismanaged the affair in some other way than the one you mention; for
instance, in going off so speedily?"

"No other course was possible. Enough of this, Bob: he bore the penalty
of his offence."

"Excuse me: it's a curious case, and as a student of human nature I like
to study such, and master all the facts. You say it never occurred to
him that the worst part of his offence might be his levanting in such
haste? that it might have been a more appropriate act of penitence to
wait a day, or five minutes, and give the lady a chance to forgive him?"

"How can you make such low suggestions? The man was not a scoundrel at
heart: at least he had always passed for a gentleman before, and thought
himself such."

"For one who goes about insulting ladies, he was a singularly modest
youth. So he never thought afterwards that there might have been a basis
of fact for the fancy that made the trouble?"

"Drop the subject, will you? I brought it in merely as an illustration,
that