human
What happened was this, George, he said.
gpt
He proposed to her, and she meant him to. But she wasn't ready to give in at once, and he got annoyed. She gave him to understand that if he didn't like it he could lump it, not thinking he'd take it seriously. Now, lots of men don't know that you needn't take any account of what a girl says. It's often the opposite of what she means. Girls are like that. What you can say is that Mansergh didn't know enough. He gets shirty, and of course that simply makes her worse. Then he clears out, and the moment he's gone she's sorry. Was she crying, by the bye, when she was standing at the window?
human
No, said Young George doubtfully.
gpt
I'm not sure, though, now I come to think of it, that she didn't later on. She almost did when she apologised to me for slanging me.
human
Poor little girl! said Jimmy tenderly.
gpt
It really makes you feel rather soft towards them, the way they show their feelings, doesn't it? I tell you, Grafton, a girl could do almost anything she liked with me--a pretty girl, that is--if she only knew her power, and how to use it. Never do to let them know, though. I think, myself, Mansergh was quite right not to let her get the bulge over him in that way, and to clear out.
human
I thought you said just now that he cleared out because he didn't know enough.
gpt
Well, he needn't have cleared out, perhaps. I should have shown her that it wouldn't wash, if it had been me, and she'd soon have given it up. Well, old man, I don't think there's much harm done. He'll come back again all right, and they'll make it up. And when two people make it up, in that condition--well, it's getting close on to the time for putting up the banns.
human
They'll want us to play tennis, he said.
gpt
We'd better go and get our shoes.