He shot up his cigar to an oblique. "Now you're shoutin'!" he repeated. "It took three months to get you down off your high horse, but now we're talkin' the same language." "Lew!" "It ain't every girl I take up with; just let that sink in. I like 'em frisky, but I like 'em cautious. That's where you made a hit with me. Little of both. Them that nibble too easy ain't worth the catch." She reached out the other hand, covering his with her both. "You're--talkin' weddin'-bells, Lew?" He regarded her, the ash of his cigar falling and scattering down his waistcoat. "What bells?" "Weddin', Lew." Her voice was as thin as a reed. "O Lord!" he said, pushing back slightly from the table. "Have another fizz, girl, and by that time we'll be ready for a trip in my underground balloon. Waiter!" She drew down his arm, quickly restraining it. She was not so sure now of controlling the muscles of her mouth. "Lew!" "Now--now--" "Please, Lew! It's what kept me alive. Thinkin' you meant that. Please, Lew! You ain't goin' to turn out like all the rest in this town? You--the first fellow I ever went as far as--last night with. I'll stand by you, Lew, through thick and thin. You stand by me. You make it right with me, Lew, and--" He cast a quick glance about, grasped at the sides of the table, and leaned toward her, _sotto_. "For God's sake, hush! Are you crazy?" "No," she said, letting the tears roll down over the too frank gyrations of her face--"no, I ain't crazy. I only want you to do the right thing by me, Lew. I'm--blue. I'm crazy afraid of the bigness of this town. There ain't a week I don't expect my notice here. It's got me. If you been stringin' me along like the rest of 'em, and I can't see nothing ahead of me but the struggle for a new job--and the tryin' to buck up against what a decent girl has got to--" "Why, you're crazy with the heat, girl! I thought you and me was talking the same language. I want to do the right thing by you. Sure I do! Anything in reason is yours for the askin'. That's what I been comin' to." "Then, Lew, I want you to do by me like you'd want your sister done by." "I tell you you're crazy. You been hitting up too many fizzes lately." "I--" "You ain't fool enough to think I'm what you'd call a free man? I don't bring my family matters down here to air 'em over with you girls. You're darn lucky that I like you well enough to--well, that I like you as much as I do. Come, now; tell you what I'm goin' to do for you: You name your idea of what you want in the way of--" "O God! Why don't I die? I ain't fit for nothing else!" He cast a glance around their deserted edge of the room. A waiter, painstakingly oblivious, stood two tables back. "Wouldn't I be better off out of it? Why don't I die?" He was trembling down with a suppression of rage and concern for the rising gale in her voice.