PAGE 15
The Register
by
HE: “Oh, I acknowledge it! I confess it.”
SHE: “And you own that I am right in refusing to listen to you now?”
HE, desolately: “Yes, yes.”
SHE: “It seems that you gave me lessons in order to be with me, and if possible to interest me in you; and then you were going away without a word.”
HE, with a groan: “It was only because I was afraid to speak.”
SHE: “Oh, is THAT any excuse?”
HE: “No; none.”
SHE: “A man ought always to have courage.” After a pause, in which he stands before her with bowed head: “Then there’s nothing for me but to give you this money.”
HE, with sudden energy: “This is too much! I” –
SHE, offering him the bank-notes: “No; it is the exact sum. I counted it very carefully.”
HE: “I won’t take it; I can’t! I’ll never take it!”
SHE, standing with the money in her outstretched hand: “I have your word as a gentleman that you will take it.”
HE, gasping: “Oh, well–I will take it–I will”–He clutches the money, and rushes toward the door. “Good-evening; ah–good-by” –
SHE, calling after him: “The receipt, Mr. Ransom! Please sign this receipt!” She waves the paper in the air.
HE: “Oh, yes, certainly! Where is it–what–which”–He rushes back to her, and seizing the receipt, feels blindly about for the pen and ink. “Where shall I sign?”
SHE: “Read it first.”
HE: “Oh, it’s all–all right” –
SHE: “I insist upon your reading it. It’s a business transaction. Read it aloud.”
HE, desperately: “Well, well!” He reads. “‘Received from Miss Ethel Reed, in full, for twenty-five lessons in oil-painting, one hundred and twenty-five dollars, and her hand, heart, and dearest love forever.'” He looks up at her. “Ethel!”
SHE, smiling: “Sign it, sign it!”
HE, catching her in his arms and kissing her: “Oh, yes–HERE!”
SHE, pulling a little away from him, and laughing: “Oh, oh! I only wanted ONE signature! Twenty autographs are too many, unless you’ll let me trade them off, as the collectors do.”
HE: “No; keep them all! I couldn’t think of letting any one else have them. One more!”
SHE: “No; it’s quite enough!”
SHE frees herself, and retires beyond the table. “This unexpected affection” –
HE: “IS it unexpected–seriously?”
SHE: “What do you mean?”
HE: “Oh, nothing!”
SHE: “Yes, tell me!”
HE: “I hoped–I thought–perhaps–that you might have been prepared for some such demonstration on my part.”
SHE: “And why did you think–hope–perhaps–THAT, Mr. Ransom, may I ask?”
HE: “If I hadn’t, how should I have dared to speak?”
SHE: “Dared? You were obliged to speak! Well, since it’s all over, I don’t mind saying that I DID have some slight apprehensions that something in the way of a declaration might be extorted from you.”
HE: “Extorted? Oh!” He makes an impassioned rush toward her.
SHE, keeping the table between them: “No, no.”
HE: “Oh, I merely wished to ask why you chose to make me suffer so, after I had come to the point.”
SHE: “Ask it across the table, then.” After a moment’s reflection, “I made you suffer–I made you suffer–so that you might have a realizing sense of what you had made ME suffer.”