For the moment, however, he liked immensely being alone with her, in the thickening dusk, in the centre of the multitudinous town; it made her seem to depend upon him and to be in his power.

This power he could exert but vaguely; the best exercise of it was to accept her decisions submissively which indeed there was already an emotion in doing.

"Why won't you let me dine with you ?" he demanded after a pause.
"Because I don't care for it." "I suppose you're tired of me." "I shall be an hour hence.

You see I have the gift of foreknowledge." "Oh, I shall be delightful meanwhile," said Ralph.
But he said nothing more, and as she made no rejoinder they sat some time in a stillness which seemed to contradict his promise of entertainment.

It seemed to him she was preoccupied, and he wondered what she was thinking about; there were two or three very possible subjects.