"Ain't you going to sit down and have a cup of tea?" "I don't want any, thanks." "Sit down, my girl." "Why?" "Because I tell you to." The command was smilingly given. "I don't think you'd better tell me to do things." Nora could smile, too. "Then I ask you. You ain't going to refuse the first favor I've asked you?" "Certainly not," she said in her most charming manner. Pulling another of the stools up to the table, she sat facing him. "There." "Now, pour out my tea for me, will you? I tell you," he said, watching her slim hands moving among the tea things, "it's rum seeing _my_ wife sitting down at _my_ table and pouring out tea for me." "Is it pleasant?" "Sure. Now have some tea yourself, my girl. You'll soon get used to drinking it without milk. And I guess you'll be able to get some to-morrow from Mrs. Sharp." Nora noticed that he did not taste his tea until she had poured herself a cup. "Just take a bit of the bread and butter." He passed her the plate and she, still smiling brightly, broke off a small half of one of the slices. "I had a sort of feeling I wanted you and me to have the first meal together in your new home," he said gently. Then, with a sudden change of manner, he laughed aloud. "We ain't lost much time, I guess. Why, it's only yesterday you told me not to call you Nora. You did _flare_ out at me!" "That was very silly of me, but I was in a temper." "And now we're man and wife." "Yes: married in haste with a vengeance." "Ain't you a bit scared?" "I? What of? You?" Her voice was steady, but the hands in her lap were clenched. "With Ed miles away, t'other side of Winnipeg, he might just as well be in the old country for all the good he can be to you. You might naturally be a bit scared to find yourself alone with a man you don't know." "I'm not the nervous sort." "Good for you!" "You _did_ give me a fright, though," said Nora, with a laugh, "when I asked you if you'd take me. I suppose it was only about fifteen seconds before you answered, but it seemed like ten minutes. I thought you were going to refuse. How Gertie would have gloated!" "I was thinking." "I see. Counting up my good points and balancing them against my bad ones." "N-o-o-o: I was thinking you wouldn't have asked me like that if you hadn't of despised me." Nora caught her breath sharply, but her manner lost none of its lightness. "I don't know what made you think that." "Well, I don't know how you could have put it more plainly that my name was mud." "Why didn't you refuse, then?" "I guess I'm not the nervous sort, either," he remarked dryly over his teacup. "_And_," Nora reminded him, "women are scarce in Manitoba." "I've always fancied an English woman," he went on, ignoring her little thrust. "They make the best wives going when they've been licked into shape." Nora showed her amusement frankly. "Are you purposing to attempt that operation on me?" "Well, you're clever. I guess a hint or two is about all you'll want."