“Don’t be so incoherent!”

“Maud!”

“Well?”

“Will you marry me?”

“Of course I will.”

“Gosh!”

“What did you say?”

“I said Gosh!  And listen to me, when I say Gosh, I mean Gosh!  Where are you?  I must see you.  Where can we meet?  I want to see you!  For Heaven’s sake, tell me where you are.  I want to see you!  Where are you?  Where are you?”

“I’m downstairs.”

“Where?  Here at the ’Carlton’?”

“Here at the ’Carlton’!”

“Alone?”

“Quite alone.”

“You won’t be long!” said George.

He hung up the receiver, and bounded across the room to where his coat hung over the back of a chair.  The edge of the steamer-trunk caught his shin.

“Well,” said George to the steamer-trunk, “and what are you butting in for?  Who wants you, I should like to know!”