Twelve
II don’t know what the usual reactions are of a man who goes to propose marriage.
In fiction his throat is dry and his collar feels too tight and he is in a pitiable state of nervousness. I didn’t feel at alllike that. Having thought of a good idea I just wanted to get it all settled as soon as possible. I didn’t see any particularneed for embarrassment¹.
I went along to the Symmingtons’ house about eleven o’clock. I rang the bell and when Rose came, I asked forMiss Megan. It was the knowing look that Rose gave me that first made me feel slightly shy.
She put me in the little morning room and whilst waiting there I hoped uneasily that they hadn’t been upsettingMegan.
When the door opened and I wheeled round, I was instantly relieved. Megan was not looking shy or upset at all.
Her head was still like a glossy² chestnut³, and she wore that air of pride and self-respect that she had acquiredyesterday. She was in her old clothes again but she had managed to make them look different. It’s wonderful whatknowledge of her own attractiveness will do for a girl. Megan, I realized suddenly, had grown up.
I suppose I must really have been rather nervous, otherwise I should not have opened the conversation by sayingaffectionately, “Hallo, catfish⁴!” It was hardly, in the circumstances, a lover-like greeting.
It seemed to suit Megan. She grinned and said, “Hallo!”
“Look here,” I said. “You didn’t get into a row about yesterday, I hope?”
Megan said with assurance, “Oh, no,” and then blinked, and said vaguely⁵, “Yes, I believe I did. I mean, they said alot of things and seemed to think it had been very odd—but then you know what people are and what fusses they makeall about nothing.”
I was relieved to find that shocked disapproval⁶ had slipped off Megan like water off a duck’s back.
“I came round this morning,” I said, “because I’ve a suggestion to make. You see I like you a lot, and I think youlike me—”

分享到：